


Port of Soba

by Jessocalypse, Kyokaen



Series: Strawhat Chronicles: The Untold Voyages [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Alcoholism, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Nakamaship, Romance, Slight Canon Divergence, mafia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-01-20 04:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 76,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1497223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessocalypse/pseuds/Jessocalypse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyokaen/pseuds/Kyokaen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Strawhat pirates stop at the Port Of Soba for a routine restock, where they meet a bartender named Koshi Toshi. But little do they know the dark secret that the island holds. What seems to be a normal and thriving port on the outside is actually a front for a vicious mafia, led by a tyrannical leader who begins an all-out war with the Strawhats. This is the tale of Luffy's struggle against this bizarre old man with an even more bizarre ability... (COMPLETE)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Land of Noodles

**LOG ENTRY #034: Leaving Alabasta - On To The Next Adventure!**

 

* * *

_For crying out loud, why exactly did I have to get stuck with log duty? Don't get me wrong, I'm all too happy to do anything that Nami-swan should ask of me, anything at all! It's just that I've never really been much of a writer. I would much rather be in the kitchen, preparing something delicious for her and Robin-chan to drink...ah, how lucky I am to be on a pirate crew with two of the loveliest ladies on the grand line! "Mellorine" just doesn't begin to describe how beautiful and wonderful they are! I count myself lucky to be able to bask in their presence! I'm sure that the wonderful and mysterious Robin-chwan will fit in quite well here and I look forward to getting to know her better! To think that such a woman would come aboard and insist upon joining us! I hope this is a sign that many more wonderful ladies will be joining us in the future! What a shame it is that Vivi-chan couldn't come along with us as well, but I can understand her situation! Ah, doing what I love most while surrounded by beautiful women all day, what a dream come true!_

_Nami-swan! Robin-chwan! If you're reading this, I hope I haven't made you blush too much! Although I'd be happy if I did! Such a cute sight that would be!! Please don't be jealous of each other, okay? I adore both of you equally!!_

_Anyway...ah, but Vivi-chan, how we all miss her! It's been lonely without her. It was just wonderful to have her along with us for a while, such an inspiring beauty! Once we'd beaten that shitty bastard, Crocodile, it almost looked as though Vivi-chan might be coming along with us for good! It breaks my heart to say that in the end, she chose to remain in Alabasta and help her father to rebuild the city. What a good-hearted young lady she is! I miss cooking for her...she was always so polite and thankful...now it's back to cooking for a bunch of rude, obnoxious cretins without so much as a "thank you, Sanji!" or "That was a delicious dinner, Sanji!" It's my role here aboard the Going Merry, of course, and cooking is my passion, but it wouldn't kill these bozos to let a little gratitude slip every now and then!_

_Don't mind my ranting, Nami-swan!! it's a bit past time for my cigarette break and I tend to get a little cranky, plus that idiot Marimo kept mouthing off about how stupid it is to be sad about not having Vivi-chwan on board anymore. Isn't he just an impolite barbarian?! At this rate he'll never get a woman to notice him! I don't feel sorry for him at all!_

_Ah, I digress. We escaped the marines successfully and haven't stopped sailing since, but now that our idiot Captain is whining about the meat shortage, we've been keeping a close eye out for the nearest port. Jeez, he's completely useless when he's hungry! I guess it's fine though, some of us are running low on supplies anyway._

_Well, I hear the screeching of a gaggle of idiots from outside along with the angelic, melodious lilt of a beautiful woman's passionate fury, so that must mean we're getting close. I hope you enjoyed reading this log entry as much as I have enjoyed writing it for you, Nami-swan!! I'm coming to help you right now! Your prince is on his way!! <3 xoxo_

oOo

The Going Merry was anchored at the bustling port of Soba. The docks were swarming with activity, men and women climbing up and down the gangways to unload their freight. Most of their cargo seemed to be luxury exports from the stark black and red markings on the crates and barrels.

Nami suspected a few of them might be smugglers from the shady looks and nervous steps some of them were exhibiting as well and her lips turned up in a knowing smirk. She turned her head to survey their scenery and noted that this was just one of the many dozens upon dozens of docks that lined the wide blue bay.

Further in the distance, the navigator could make out a quaint looking town that had a cobblestone road running through it. There were many brightly colored rooftops, some of them with smoking chimneys and the most delicious smell of meat and spices wafted by mixed with the smell of sea spray. Further inland she could see the cobblestone road leading up to a large white building in the center of the island surrounded by what looked like an enormously tall black fence. The town seemed to be built around this building, though there was a wide berth between the building and the rest of the town. 

Luffy could hardly contain his excitement as he ran past her and literally leapt from the ship like a human-sized rubber ball. “SOOOOOOO EXCITEEEEEEEEEEED!”

Nami gave him a reprimanding glare as she prepared to bark her instructions. She didn’t want the group to get separated for long periods of time and end up in some kind of crazy adventure that would last a week or longer. They had a goal here and they certainly weren’t going to realize it by goofing off. They were here strictly to stock up on their supplies, maybe have a little fun on land and then be on their way.

“Okay, remember,” she began, eyes narrowing in the direction of the bouncing Strawhat, “NO DAWDLING, I'm looking at you Luffy!”

He jutted his lower lip out. “But I’m the Captain…”

She ignored him and continued, “I think the group of us should stay together so no one gets lost,” she stared at Zoro, “and so that our cook isn’t off by himself forever doing who knows what!”

Chopper tugged on Nami’s arm, looking up at her with hopeful eyes. “Nami, Nami! Can we go to the bookstore?”

“Of course! Just don't spend too much money...”  
Nami breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that Robin had volunteered to stay behind with Merry. Usopp made the historian promise three times she would guard Merry with her life before he was satisfied and they could finally start out.

Completely ignoring everything the navigator just told him, Luffy whooped with delight and took off at a run for the nearby vendor stalls. “WHOO HOOOOOOOO!! I SEE A MEAT VENDOR!!!!”

Usopp’s eyes widened and he immediately began running after the captain, shouting, "LUFFY, WAIT!!” His tone indicated that he only wished to keep Luffy out of trouble, but the rest of the crew knew better than to be fooled by that.

The curly browed cook yelled after them, “O,I OI, you shitty bastards! DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID! Jeez, it looks like I'm doing the shopping by myself!” He sighed and shook his head, thinking that perhaps it was better this way after all. He didn't need a repeat of the last time they'd gone shopping together... Shaking those horrible flashbacks from his mind, Sanji stuffed the shopping list into his back pocket and started off toward the market.

Past the docks, the ground began to decline and Luffy ran faster and faster, gaining momentum, his hat flew off of his head, held in place only by a small white string and he pumped his arms with the pure joy of running, Usopp not too far behind.

Nami’s hand slapped loudly against her forehead as she called for her crewmates in vain, “LUFFY!!! USOPP!!!”

Directly in the out of control Luffy’s path, a young man with a large red headband wrapped around his head was wheeling a wooden cart filled to the brim with dozens of bottles of alcohol, blissfully unaware of the coming danger as he whistled, his geta shoes clopping along the cobblestones and kicking up small clouds of the dust that rested between the cracks.

Usopp was still straining to keep up with his Captain. “OI, I SAID WAIT!!!”

Luffy’s grin disappeared as his jaw dropped open at what was going to be an oncoming disaster. He could see the young man and the cart in front of him clearly now but there was no way he could stop in time. He plowed his heels into the cobblestone path, trying to lessen the blow, leaving two long lines trailing behind him, but it was too late. He crashed headlong into the young man upsetting the cart of alcohol, bottles flying into the air.

The young man bounced off of Luffy, his back hitting the ground. He quickly recovered, sitting up with a hand to his forehead and watching in horror as a dozen or more bottles bounced directly off of Luffy’s head.

The boy could only stare with his eyes wide as saucers and mouth open as Luffy remained unscathed from this beating. He pointed a long finger at him, opening and closing his mouth.

Usopp screeched, “LUFFY WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?” and made small panicky gestures while the rest of the crew ran over towards the wreck.

Still a bit dazed, the young man stood up and dusted himself off and extended a hand to the rubber man. “Um...are you alright?”

Luffy grabbed the offered help and immediately jumped up with a laugh. “Of course!”

Which was only momentary, for within the next few seconds a furious cook had come running back after having heard the commotion, launching himself at Luffy and kicking him in the head. “You shitty rubber bastard, causing trouble already!!!”

With a scream of pain Luffy went sailing into a nearby meat stand.

The young man’s jaw dropped again. “Wh-wh-WHAT…?”

Zoro meanwhile had been inching closer and closer to the bottles of booze, a thirsty look in his eyes. “I don’t think anyone would mind if I took one…” He looked both ways before starting to shove a bottle into his stomach band, but Nami cleanly whacked it out of his hand first.

There was a joyful scream of “MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!” as Luffy began to shove everything in the vicinity into his mouth.

Usopp groaned, holding a hand to his head. “GAAHHH WHAT A DISASTER, we're going to get kicked out for sure!!" His expression quickly turned to a pout. "And I wanted to eat...”

The young man in the red headband was still staring in shock at Luffy. “He’s...ok...isn't he?”

Nami sighed. “I'll go pay the meat vendor, YOU MORONS HELP CLEAN UP THIS MESS!”

"Yes, Nami-swan!" Sanji crooned, before catching the eye of the startled stranger who was still staring at Luffy as if trying to decide whether or not to take the captain to see a doctor. Sanji lit a cigarette, looking completely unconcerned. "Don't worry about him. He's fine, he's just an idiot. There's no cure for that."

The group that Nami left behind then dropped to the ground and began picking up the bottles. A moment later the young man let out a groan. “OH GEEZ, I have to hurry and get this back to the tavern!!!”

With Nami distracted, Zoro thought he’d try again to get his very own bottle of booze, hell he was a pirate right? But the young man noticed.

“Errr...that's kinda mine?”

Zoro grunted as he reluctantly put the bottle back. “I'm so thirsty I could die…” His eyes began to glaze over.

“Well I run a tavern with my Pops, so if you guys want to come by after we pick this up, I'll give you free drinks!”

Nami returned then, pulling Luffy by the ear and scolding him. “What did I tell you about running?!”

“Not to do it.”

“So why did you do it?”

“I'M THE CAPTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!”

The young man perked up at the sound of this. “Oh? What trade line are you guys from?”  
Usopp jumped in quickly with an explanation. “AH! We're pirates! AND I'M the Captain!”

“USOPP!” Luffy smacked the sniper, who nearly toppled over from the force of the playful blow. “YOU KNOW I'M THE CAPTAIN!”

Nami disapproved. “Luffy!!! You don't have to hit him that hard...” Then she cast an apologetic look at the young man. “I'm really sorry about this...”

Meanwhile, Usopp had thrown himself onto the ground, clutching his head where Luffy had hit him and dramatically wailing, “I'm sorry everyone!! Water my plants for me... I'm....I'M DEAD...” Then he hung his tongue out of his mouth as if that would show that he was dead for certain.

The young man cried out in horror, “OH MY GOD!!! Hey, hey!!! You aren't really dead are you?!! Usopp?!”

On the ground Usopp cracked an eye open. “It's CAPTAIN Usopp!!! I mean--I'm deeeaaadddd...”

Sanji was not amused and he toed the sniper as he was still lying on the ground. “Oi, just get up already.”

The young man helped Usopp up. “You guys are really pirates?”

“That's right! I'm the Captain like I said!”

Luffy frowned. “NO WAY! I'M THE CAPTAIN!”

The young man looked over at Nami. “I actually think SHE might be the captain...”

Nami chuckled. “I'm the navigator,” she explained. “The one with the hat on, LUFFY, is the Captain...sorry, Usopp.”

Zoro, unfazed by Usopp’s little display, was still picking up the bottles of alcohol, stacking them neatly back into the cart and admiring them with a longing look in his eyes. “Mmmm this is some good high class stuff!”

“OF COURSE!” The young man piped up, his eyes lighting up with pleasure. “We of The Jade Bangle serve the finest quality of alcohol and beverages, with the finest music to go along with it!” He grinned, “I’m Toshi, by the way, nice to meet you all!” followed by a sweeping theatrical bow.

Luffy grinned, already in place to tout his ambition per tradition. “I’m Luffy, and I’m going to be king of the pirates!”

“The pirate king?!” Toshi asked in awe. “That’s awesome! I'll have my Pops get your picture for the wall so when you become pirate king we can say we knew you before!”

“SOUNDS GOOD! I'm full of meat now! Mmmm…OH! This is Nami, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji! THEY'RE MY CREW!!! I have two more members, Chopper and Robin, but Chopper’s at the bookstore and Robin is guarding our ship right now!”

“Sweet! Follow me you guys, I'm sure my Pops will be happy to see some good pirates. Just don't tell him I'm giving you free drinks, ok?”

Nami got a twinkle in her eye at the word ‘free’, beli signs appearing as she grinned, thinking of all the money she would be saving because of Toshi’s generosity. “Free is good!”

Sanji stamped out the remainder of his cigarette. “I could certainly go for a drink right about now.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement as Luffy laughed cheerfully.

Toshi grinned. “Great! Then follow me!”

He led them through the bustling town to a district with many bars, but none of them were as green as the one they stopped in front of titled in bold green letters ‘The Jade Bangle’ inside a large green circle that was a perfect enlarged replica of the particular bracelet from which its name was derived.

Toshi burst through the green door, ringing a small bell on his way in, cupping his hands around his mouth as he shouted, “POPS! LO MEIN! I brought CUSTOMERS!”

A short man with pin straight black hair and eyes so small you could barely make out their color looked up from behind the bar where he was cleaning out a tankard. His middle-aged face lit up. “YOU BRING IN YOUNG PEOPLE? WE NOT SEE THAT VERY OFTEN ANYMORE!”

Luffy followed close behind Toshi, swinging his head around to get a good look. “SHISHISHI, nice place!”

Toshi leaned over the bar and whispered something to Lo Mein. The ‘Pops’ that he’d called for was nowhere to be seen…yet.

“Got it! I give free drinks to young people but not tell Roshi! Hohoho, you so sneaky Toshi-kun!”

Sanji chuckled and slapped Toshi on the back. “Hah! I think I like this guy!” He grinned as he took a seat on one of the wooden stools bolted to the ground around the bar.

Toshi grinned back. “Drink all you want! And I'll personally provide you with some good entertainment!”

Lo Mein’s grin turned into a scowl as he ordered Toshi, “FIRST YOU PUT UP BOTTLES!”

“But there’s sooo mannnyyy,” Toshi whined. “Can’t Pops do it?”

The short man shook his head. “Do now before uncle get here!”

“Okay, geez.” Toshi frowned and then the next second he hopped over the bar.

A deep booming voice resounded from the next room, “TOSHI MY BOY, how’d everything go?”

Toshi grinned and yelled back, “FINE POPS! I got all the alcohol...mostly…”

Toshi’s father, Koshi Roshi, entered the room carrying a tray of plates and glasses from the steam cleaner and gently placed them down behind the counter. He was a middle aged man, just a few inches taller than Toshi, with silver hair slicked straight back and landing on the nape of his neck. The outfit he wore was almost identical to Toshi’s, minus the headband. His blue eyes lit up as he noticed the crowd that had gathered in the bar.

“OH!!! You brought customers!”

Luffy wasted no time in bounding up to the man and announcing, “I’m Luffy and I’m going to be KING OF THE PIRATES! SHISHISHI.”

Nami shook her head and looked up at Lo Mein who was starting to make drinks. “Give that one only milk…”

He nodded. “Okay miss, and what you have?”

Luffy whipped his head around to whine, “I WANTED BEER!”

Her teeth appeared to morph into daggers. “ONLY MILK FOR YOU LUFFY, OTHERWISE YOU'LL CAUSE A SCENE!”

Roshi chuckled putting a hand to his chin. “The pirate king! That's some high ambition you've got there!”

“OF COURSE! I'm going to kick everyone's asses who get in my way, find One Piece and then become pirate king! DEFINITELY!” and with that declaration he took a large gulp of the milk that Lo Mein had set before him, leaving a milk mustache when he pulled the cup back. “SHISHISHI…”

Usopp cracked up laughing at him while he sipped his beer.

Luffy frowned. “HOW COME USOPP GETS BEER?!”

Usopp slammed his glass down. “BECAUSE I DON'T RAMPAGE THROUGH TOWN WHEN I'VE HAD A FEW!”

Zoro smirked as he finished off his third beer. “Hell, Luffy does that when he's sober.”

Toshi grinned at the group of them and turned his attention to Sanji, who was leaning over the bar. He’d been watching with interest as Toshi deftly tossed all the bottles of alcohol from the market neatly into place. “Well, what'll you have, blondie?” Toshi smirked at the cook.

Sanji rolled his eye. “We were introduced, weren't we? It's Sanji!” He glanced over at his Captain, slightly annoyed that Luffy was running around and touching everything. “I'll take the best you have, on the rocks.”

“Well then, you don't know much about alcohol then do you?” He pulled a silver flask from the lining of his red jacket and took a quick swig. “The best won't ever come on the rocks…” Toshi spun on his heel and reached for a bottle at the bottom of the cooler behind the bar, then brought out a corkscrew, using it to quickly burst the bottle of top shelf champagne open and into a flute that he’d grabbed with his free hand and tossed onto the bar.

Sanji tried not to look impressed. “Ch, I might have to forgive that little slight if you keep serving me this high-class stuff.” He smirked as he took a sip.

Luffy’s lower lip jutted out, having been denied alcohol and Toshi couldn’t help but notice. He waved Luffy over with a sly grin and presented him with a strawberry wine cooler that had a long curling ‘crazy’ straw in the neck.

“This'll give you some alcohol but won't overload you since I guess you're somewhat of an infamous lightweight from the way that Nami girl is acting.”

“SHISHISHI, thanks! And I have no idea what Nami's talking about! I'm gonna be king of the pirates, I can handle anything!” He held his glass up for a second as if to admire the pinkish liquid then started drinking merrily from the straw.

Usopp found himself fascinated by all the memorabilia adorning the green walls of the Jade Bangle. “Wow, check out all this stuff!” He grinned at Roshi. “You have some cool wall hangings, old man!”

Roshi grinned. “Thanks son, I am a bit of a collector...” He trailed off momentarily but then cleared his throat loudly. “You might take notice of the one of my wife...”

Usopp looked up to where he pointed a large painting mounted above an equally large fireplace, admiring how well crafted it was and noting how serious Roshi sounded when he mentioned it. “It's a great painting! So that's your wife? But...is she not here?”

“She died when Toshi was born...it's just been us all these...well almost 20 years now,” he answered wistfully. “Heh...we think about her every day.”

Toshi looked up at the picture and smiled. “I’ve heard that Mom was a pretty awesome lady.”

Usopp bowed his head. “Sorry to hear that, old man...I lost my mother when I was young, so...It's tough, but we were lucky to have them when we did, right?”

Roshi nodded to the young man. “We certainly were…and I’m sorry for your loss as well.”

There was a pause in the conversation where everything seemed to fall silent for a few seconds. Roshi opened his mouth to say something else to fill the silence when there was the loud sound of a straw sucking up the last remnants of a glass.

Luffy laughed, feeling slightly tipsy from just that one wine cooler as he finished off the last drop. “TOSHI! GIMME MORE!”

Toshi couldn’t help but grin at such a lightweight. “Well I think you might be at your limit, sir.”

Nami rolled her eyes. “I told you so…”

Toshi ignored her. “Well, you wanna see something cool, Pirate King?”

“Ehhh? OF COURSE!” He leaned forward eagerly.

“Whoa, you might want to back up a little bit there…” Toshi quickly spread several cups, shakers, and bottles of alcohol across the bar and began deftly tossing and flipping them in the air, spinning them over his hands, catching them and pouring out perfect amounts of alcohol, “We call this 'flair bartending,'” he said with a wink.

Lo Mein shook his head. “He like to show off...”

Usopp turned to watch, obviously impressed. “Wow, you've got some pretty good moves Toshi!” He said as Toshi slid one of the freshly made drinks to him. He immediately brought the glass to his lips and tipped it back, gulping down the smooth beverage before setting it down with a contented sigh. “I have to say, you really know how to mix up some good drinks!”

Zoro growled, feeling neglected. “Oi! As long as you are giving out drinks…”

“Hold your horses, Mister Green.” Toshi quickly whipped up another drink for the swordsman and turned to Usopp. “I was born behind a bar, what can I say?” He smiled with a tiny shrug and pulled out a green cloth from his pants pocket and quickly wiped the bar. “I also take tips, in case you were wondering.”

Sanji sipped his beverage idly, chuckling at the banter between the two. “Don't get too drunk, long nose, we don't need both you and Luffy running around like lunatics.”

The aforementioned Luffy was staring at the drinks Toshi was passing out with sparkly eyes. "AWESOOOOOME!!! I WANT ONE OF THOSE DRINKS!!!”

Zoro downed his in one gulp. “You couldn’t handle it, Captain.”

Usopp scoffed and waved his hand in Sanji's general direction. “Yeah, of course!! You worry too much Sanji, I have the tolerance of a viking!”

“Ohh? I hadn't imagined that vikings would get drunk after two cocktails.”

“GAH, shut up!”

Toshi began mixing another drink. “Oh yeah that's why you're here isn't it? I can show you where to get the best deals if you want.”

Nami’s eyes suddenly lit up with beli signs. “DEALS? I like to save money...”

Luffy held out his hands, opening and closing them as Toshi handed him a freshly mixed drink with another crazy straw in it. “OOOOH…” He slurped it loudly.

Nami clucked her tongue disapprovingly. “I don't think he can handle much more.”

“Don't worry, that one was a virgin, I've seen his type before.”

Sanji turned his attention to Toshi. “That would be kind of you, barkeep. I've got a long grocery list that I need to attend to.”

“My pleasure blondie, have another drink?”

“Of course! Keep it coming!”

Toshi took another sip from his flask that kept appearing and disappearing throughout and between mixing drinks. “I like the harder stuff myself, but how about some margaritas? That's the perfect party drink! Pops! Bring out the chips and salsa!”

“I'll see if we have any...HAH, I'm just kidding, of course we do. Salsa Verde, kinda goes with our theme here.”

“And then, you should sing for us....”

“Oh no, you don't wanna hear my scratchy old voice.” Roshi waved a hand dismissively.

Usopp piped up, “Really? Can he sing?” He slapped the counter, all the alcohol beginning to take effect. “We'd love to hear it old man! C'mon!”

“He's only THE BEST!” said Toshi.

“No no...it's just a part-time hobby,” Roshi protested, puffing on his pipe as he laid out salsa and chips on the bar.

Luffy’s face lit up. “MUSIC? OOOH SING, SING, SING!”

“MARGARITAS!” Nami shouted as Toshi began pouring them out for everyone. “It's been so long since I had one!”

Once he was finished pouring, Toshi drained the rest of the alcohol from the pitcher and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Come on Pops!”

“Well, alright, but you should accompany with your harmonica.” He smirked.

Usopp grinned into his margarita. “Stopping here was a great idea! This is just what we all needed after leaving Alabasta...”

Sanji immediately began to pout. “Don't remind me! Vivi-chwan...”

Zoro rolled his eyes. “Ugh, Not this again! I told you all you should have kidnapped her!”

“ Zoro!!!” Nami admonished with a dirty look. “I miss her as much as anyone...maybe more...but it was her choice you know.”

Sanji sighed wistfully. “Such a benevolent young woman...” His cigarette began puffing out heart-shaped smoke.

Toshi quirked an eyebrow at him while mixing another batch of margarita mix just for himself, then proceeded to drink the whole thing straight from the pitcher once again. “Mmm...”

“Don't worry,” Luffy added, “she's doing what she wanted! We'll always be nakama and we're going to see her again! CHEERS!!!! To Vivi and to our new friends!!!”

Usopp grinned. “Yeah! A toast! To new adventures...and new friends!”

Roshi shook his head in amusement then thrust his glass into the air. “A TOAST!!!”

The rest of the crew were quick to follow with their own glasses and Toshi had to quickly pull out his flask, having already finished his personal pitcher of margaritas, as they all clinked their drinks together.

After a few more swigs from the silver flask, Toshi threw it behind him and started pushing his father onto the stage that was the centerpiece of the building. “Come on Pops, I won't let you get out of this! You promised to sing for us!”

Nami snorted in amusement at Toshi, noticing his drinking habits. “You drink more than Zoro!”

“I didn't even think that was possible!!” Usopp added.

Roshi sighed in faux exasperation. “I can't stop the boy, he nearly drinks me out of house and home on a daily basis!”

“I make up for it though! The customers love me!”

“Well, you ARE the heir of this establishment, my boy!”

A somber grin crossed Toshi’s face. “Yeah…how could I forget…?” His hand snaked back inside his jacket to grab another flask and he quickly downed the entire thing.

Nami was about to make a comment on the flasks when Toshi reached inside his jacket again and brought out a harmonica, blowing a single note on it to set the tune. He stared expectantly at his father, who was looking a bit sheepish onstage, still smoking his pipe.

Toshi blew the note again, louder and more insistent.

“OH ALRIGHT!!!” Roshi cleared his throat and begin singing in a rich baritone an old song about love and how a person under its spell might feel. He thought about his wife as he sang it, thinking of the very first time he’d hopped upon this stage with her beside him, playing piano and encouraging him with her beautiful smile. It truly had been a magical time for the Koshis before the specter of his wife’s family ties began to hang over them…

Usopp and Luffy were drumming on the bar top excitedly, both with faces slightly pink from all the alcohol.

With a final belting note and his arms spread wide, Roshi ended the song, nearly lost in the moment. But he soon came back to down earth, his eyes becoming clear once more, receiving the praise from his audience and he bowed to them.

Toshi whistled loudly and turned to them. “Didn’t I tell you he was awesome?”

Roshi hopped down from the stage, lighting his pipe again with a contented sigh.

Usopp was still clapping enthusiastically. “You were right! That was really great, old man!”

Luffy’s eyes turned to stars. “AWESOOOOME!! You know, I'm looking for a musician!”

Nami whacked him over the head, her fist bouncing right off with a loud ‘BOING’.

Roshi laughed heartily between puffs. “Ohohohoho no, no, thanks for the invitation but for an old man like me my place is here. Yep me and my boy here...this pub is our life! Isn’t that right, Lo Mein?”

Lo Mein nodded in agreement. “OH YAH, IT THEIR LIFE!”

Roshi looked up suddenly. “Say you kids gonna be in town for awhile? It's Toshi's birthday tomorrow.”

Toshi’s face colored and he rubbed the back of his head. “Pooooooops...”

Usopp leaned forward in interest. “Oh yeah?? It's your birthday?”

Toshi ducked his head slightly. “Yeah, I'm turning 20...”

A dark look crossed Roshi’s face as Toshi said this, and Nami wondered if anyone else had seen it as she continued to sip her margarita. Toshi certainly seemed blissfully unaware.

The bell on the front door began chiming as some new patrons entered.

“WELCOME!” Shouted Lo Mein with a wave at the newcomers.

Toshi looked up just then and his face broke into a large grin. “UNCLES!!” he shouted and ran over to greet the two men.

“Hey Toshi!!! I heard the last strains of that song, so sorry we missed it, Roshi!” Piped up the first man as he hugged Toshi. He was a rather rotund fellow who wore a red suit with orange bowtie and had a shock of flaming red hair. His disposition was sunny and his cheeks were rosy.

Roshi greeted him with a bitter tone, “Yes well, maybe next time...won't you have a drink?”

The second man seemed to be his polar opposite. He was tall and thin in a green striped suit with long straight dark green hair. His face bore a serious look, all business, and he could only awkwardly return Toshi’s hug. “No,” he answered, “we just have something to discuss with you...”

“Oooh Uncle Penne, Uncle Farfalle, are you planning me a surprise birthday party?!” Toshi piped up.

Farfalle laughed, putting his hands over his round belly. “Ohhh no, no, sorry Toshi, your party won't be a surprise, but we'll still have one! WITH CAKE, SO MUCH CAKE!” His eyes began to sparkle with the promise of the sugary delight.

Penne ignored Toshi, his eyes narrowing with a pointed look at Roshi. “We have a little business to attend to with your father if you don't mind...”

“Of course not! I'm just hanging out with my new friends!”

Farfalle was delighted to hear this news. “Aww you made new friends, that's so great!” He grinned and patted Toshi on the shoulder.

“We're about to go out shopping in a little bit!”

Roshi nodded. “Be careful, Toshi my boy!”

Luffy grinned at him. “Don't worry old man, I'm REALLY strong!”

Usopp chimed in, “Yeah! He just beat up Crocodile you know! The Shichibukai, Crocodile, that is! It was probably in the paper by now! I mean, he couldn't have done it without me, I probably did about ninety percent of the work after all!” Usopp laughed haughtily at that, not realizing that nobody was paying attention to him anymore.

"Ho ho ho...alright then..." The older man said skeptically, only having half listened to what the sniper was saying as the presence of the two new men seemed to distract him. He nodded to Luffy and then disappeared into the back room, Penne and Farfalle following close behind.

Nami drummed her fingers on the countertop. “Something seems...off...about them...”

Usopp gave Nami a sidelong glance as they watched the men disappear into the back. “Yeah...didn't it seem like he wasn't looking forward to talking with them?”

Toshi shrugged. “My Pops has never gotten along that well with my uncles, but they've been pretty good to me! Especially Uncle Farfalle, we always played together when I was younger. We drank together too even though he definitely can’t hold his alcohol as well as me! He’s been one of my closest friends my whole life, really…got me that goldfish for my birthday that I thought would like to try some alcohol…and then he attended Sergeant Guppy’s funeral with me after that disaster…heh…” Toshi grinned sheepishly. “You see, my dad never really let me play with the other kids…he pulled me out of school at a pretty young age actually…” Toshi tapped a finger to his chin. “It was kinda weird, but having my Uncles around to help take care of me really made up for it…”

“I guess some people just can't get along!” said Usopp.

Nami frowned. “I don't know...it seemed like...ah, well, never mind.” She decided not to say anything else, not wanting to offend Toshi.

Sanji lit a fresh cigarette, his brow furrowed in thought. He’d caught that weird vibe as well. “Yeah...but we shouldn't be interfering with other peoples' business.” He smiled at Nami. “I'm sure it's nothing, Nami-san!”

Toshi slammed down now empty bottle of vodka he managed to drink between talking, “Ahhhhhhhhh! Well, who's ready to go shopping?”

Sanji stood up, his bar stool scraping against the floor. “We're ready whenever you are.”

Usopp stumbled a bit, at first, then regained his equilibrium. “Gah! Those margaritas were stronger than I thought!” he laughed.

“ ZORO!!!” Luffy shouted. “The door's over here!!!”

“Shut up!!!” The swordsman crossed his arms and started walking towards their voices. “I don’t need people telling me where to go!”

Toshi smirked in amusement. “Not too bright, that one... Well come on! Stick close to me or you'll all get lost, this town is huge!!!”

“You heard the man, you drunken bastards!” Sanji admonished. “Don't go running off and doing stupid shit while we're here!”

“SHISHISHISHI Just make sure you get a lot of MEAT!”

Toshi laughed and pulled out another flask. “Alright you guys, this way!” He began leading them down in a winding path towards the market.

Luffy jogged up beside Toshi. “Can I have a sip of that?”

Toshi nearly choked on his booze. “PFFFFFF, well maybe later Pirate King, when you're a little older.” He winked and patted his shoulder as the group approached a book vendor with many shelves of texts on display.

Luffy began jumping up and down, waving his arms as he spotted the crew's smallest member, who was still perusing the merchandise. “YAY! CHOPPER!!!”

“Who's this little guy?!” Toshi asked as Chopper immediately perked up and rejoined the group, his backpack bulging slightly with books he’d purchased.

Chopper answered the captain’s call. ”OH!!! LUFFY!!” he cried and hugged onto him.

Toshi was stunned momentarily. “HOLY HELL DID YOUR PET JUST TALK?!!!” His eyes widened to the size of saucers.

Chopper jumped in fear and hid behind Luffy, facing the wrong direction peering warily at Toshi. “OI!! I'm NOT a PET!!”

Toshi could only grin at him. “Then why do I wanna pet you?! You're so friggin' CUTE!”

“OI!!!” The reindeer blushed and jumped away, waving his arms in a little dance. “That doesn’t make me happy at all! Bastard!!”

Usopp laughed as he explained, “This is Tony Tony Chopper, he ate a devil fruit that made him able to take on human characteristics!”

“So what is he? A raccoon?”

“I'm a REINDEER!!"

“SHISHISHISHI we're going to have the do the chopsticks dance later!! Chopper's the best at it!”

“That's SO cool, you're crew is pretty amazing, Luffy!”

Toshi took a drink from yet another flask he pulled out of his jacket. He looked back at Chopper then sheepishly asked the little guy, “Can I...can I hug you?”

“Huh?! I, ah...I suppose!”

Toshi’s face split into a wide grin. “OH THANK YOU!!!” He latched onto Chopper, hugging him, “My Pops never let me have a pet after Sergeant Guppy died, or even stuffed animals. When I was younger he always said, 'That's not manly, son!' but you're just so cute!”

Chopper hugged Toshi back, still blushing happily from all the attention. “That's still not making me happy at all, jerk!”

Sanji lit up yet another cigarette. “Ah, Chopper’s also our doctor!”

“Oh really? Damn you are the coolest, Chopper! Do you drink, little guy?”

Chopper opened his mouth to answer but only a gurgle came out as he collapsed in Toshi’s arms, a happy smile adorning his fuzzy face.

“Whoa!” said Usopp. “He just fainted from praise!”

“GAH!” Toshi yelped, pulling out another flask and holding it under Chopper’s nose, hoping the smell would rouse him.

Chopper’s eyes flew open. “PHEW!!” He clamped his hoof over his blue nose. “Dat's stwong…”

Sanji began glancing around the marketplace, taking in all the shops and sights as well as the smells of delicious foods cooking. He spotting a shop selling meat and began to wander towards it.

“RACE YOU THERE!” Luffy yelled as he rushed ahead of Sanji.

Nami pinched the bridge of her nose. “I already had to pay one meat vendor...”

“There's no helping him,” Usopp deadpanned.

oOo

As the day went on Toshi showed the Strawhats where to get all the best deals on the goods they needed. Nami nearly hugged him once she saw how much money they’d saved. All too soon, the sun was starting to sink into the ocean and Toshi walked with them back to the Merry, wanting to see what kind of awesome ship the future King of the Pirates had before they had to sail off again for their next adventure.

“You guys got enough stuff?”

Nami didn’t hear him, her head being somewhere else, thinking of something she’d seen earlier in the market. Something strange…

Sanji carried two large sacks of food. “Well, this is sure to last us about...a week.” He snorted as he started up Merry’s rope ladder with his bounty.

Usopp jumped back down from the deck of the ship, having finished helping Sanji. “It was great of you to show us around town, Toshi!”

“Do you really have to go now...?”

Sanji jumped down beside him and Usopp and lit a new cigarette. “It's probably best if we do. You and your father have been kind to us, but we are wanted pirates and after what happened in Alabasta, we should probably be careful for now...”

Toshi’s face fell. “Oh...”

Luffy bounced over to Toshi. “Ehhh? What’s wrong?! You seemed pretty happy in your bar and you were SO COOL!”

Nami took this opportunity to pull Usopp aside. “Something's weird... I don't know if you noticed but we were being followed...”

Usopp lowered his voice. “What...? Now that you mention it....I did get a strange feeling like that...”

“And those guys, the 'uncles' who came in the bar earlier,” Nami continued, “I think they have something to do with it. Something tells me this town isn't everything it seems...”

Usopp nodded. “I definitely get some creepy vibes from that Penne guy...the more I think about it, the more I wonder if Toshi is really safe in a place like this. His dad seems to be keeping something big to himself... I know it's not our business, but it's been bothering me too.”

“I can't help but notice that the crowd seemed to thin as we went by or settled in any one place. I don't think it was because of Luffy...”

“You heard the whispering too, didn't you?”

“I did...what...what should we do? Something's about to go down...I wonder if Luffy realizes it?”

Usopp cast a glance at Luffy who seemed to be involved in a discussion with Toshi. “I doubt it. We should call a meeting about this. I don't feel right just leaving things like this...”

Meanwhile Luffy was still trying to coax a smile out of the bartender. “COME ON, don’t be sad, Toshi! You even gave me booze! SHISHISHI, you’re alright in my books, even if I don’t read!!!” Luffy bounced with delight.

Toshi finally grinned at Luffy’s banter, giving him a half shove. “Awwww, well it's just...my Pops has kept me in a box so to speak, to be honest I don't really have any friends... He always told me I'm special and I don't need to be around other people. I'm always safely behind the bar, tending it, making drinks, entertaining but...I don't really KNOW anyone...”

Luffy nodded. “Well WE’RE friends now, aren't we?” He grinned.

“Yeah, of course...I just...” He looked behind Luffy at Merry, staring longingly. “He expects me to take over the bar...and he’s always ranted on about how it's my place, my destiny...well what about what I want?“

“Shishi...so you have a dream, then?”

“Well, my dream is for my freedom...there's something else I can tell he's been hiding from me...”

Luffy grinned. “That's a great dream! That's why I want to be the pirate king! The Pirate King has the most freedom in the world!” He stretched his arms out.

Toshi couldn’t help but admire his spirit and resolve. “You're amazing, Luffy....I wish I could be like you...”

Luffy clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You can. There's always a choice. It's your life right? You should be free to live it however you want to!”

Toshi grinned at this. “There's something I've been wanting to ask my Pops about actually... Hey, you know, tomorrow is my birthday. It's a turning point in my life. I think I'm going to tell my Pops I'm not going to take over the tavern.”

“SHISHISHI that's the spirit!!!”

Toshi’s voice lowered. “Luffy...would you...stay? Just...just one more day. It'd really mean a lot to me if you would be there...”

Luffy didn’t hesitate even for a second. “Of COURSE I will!!!!!”

Toshi’s face lit up. “THANK YOU!!!” He impulsively hugged Luffy, holding back tears. “Nobody ever...inspired me before. It's...I don't even know how to describe it... I feel like I'm changing into a whole new man...”

Luffy hugged him back then turned around and yelled to the rest of his nakama. “EVERYONE! WE'RE STAYING ANOTHER DAY FOR TOSHI'S BIRTHDAY!!!” 

 

* * *

In the tradition of One Piece and Oda-sensei there are some crazy names in this story arc! I created a name key with explanations and pronunciations! Toshi's birthday is January 1st.

**NOODLE NAMES KEY**

Soba - 'soh-bah': thin Japanese buckwheat noodles. Soba called Toshi Koshi Soba are traditionally eaten on New Years eve in Japan. 

Lo Mein - 'low-main': A Chinese dish with wheat flour noodles 

Penne - 'pen-ay': a type of pasta with cylinder shaped pieces

Farfalle - 'far-fal-lay': bow-tie shaped pasta 

Fettuccine - 'fet-uh-chee-nee': long flat pasta noodles made of egg and flour 

Alfredo - 'Al-fray-doh': a white cream sauce, served with pasta

Rigatoni - 'rig-uh-toe-nee': a form of tube-shaped pasta of varying lengths and diameters

Fiori - 'fee-or-ee': flower shaped pasta 

Ravioli - 'ra-vee-oh-lee': a traditional type of Italian filled pasta. They are composed of a filling sealed between two layers of thin egg pasta dough and are served either in broth or with a pasta sauce. 

Tortellini - 'tore-tuh-lee-nee': ring shaped pasta stuffed with meat or cheese 

Rotini - 'row-tee-nee': helix/corkscrew shaped pasta 

Rotelle - 'roe-tell-eh': wagon wheel shaped pasta 

Gemelli - 'juh-mell-ee': pasta that are a s-shaped strand twisted into a spiral 

Pici - 'pee-chee': Pici is a thick, hand-rolled pasta, like a fat spaghetti. It originates in the province of Siena in Tuscany; in the Montalcino area it is also referred to as pinci.The dough is typically made from flour and water only. The addition of egg is optional, being determined by family traditions. 

Orzo - 'or-zoh': a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice 

Ditalini - 'dee-tah-lee-nee': Short tube or thimble shaped pasta 

Bolognese - 'boh-loh-nyeh-ze': a meat-based sauce originating from Bologna, Italy. Aka your typical red meat sauce for pasta. Bolognese sauce is basically the opposite of Alfredo sauce which is why I chose it for a name ;D

Trenette - 'tray-neh-teh': a type of narrow, flat, dried pasta especially associated with Genoa and Liguri that are thin ribbon ridged on one side 

Mostaccioli - 'moe-stah-she-oh-li': Similar to penne but without ridges. Also called penne lisce or "smooth penne" 

Farfalonni - 'Far-fall-low-nee': Large bow tie shaped pasta (bigger than farfalle)

Capellini - 'cap-eh-lee-nee': The thinnest type of long pasta, it is rod-shaped, in the form of long strands.

*

The villains in the Port of Soba arc are organized into a Mafia. I gathered the information below to shed some light on their ranks and which character in the Alfredo Family fills each one.

**MAFIA RANKS KEY**

Don - (or boss) head of the mafia, the very top of the food chain, makes all decisions, gives all orders and is honored and revered like a father among his men. Don Fettucini Alfredo is exceptionally cruel so no one calls him 'father'

Front Boss - A front boss is a member of the family who acts for The Don and on behalf of the boss in public view (e.g. the media, commission meetings). A front boss is intended to deceive authorities, the public, other families and some times even members within his own family, and there by protect the real boss from surveillance, prosecution, assassination attempts etc. Farfalle fills this role in the Alfredo family with the grooming Toshi to become the Don's heir.

Underboss - The underboss is the second in command overall, he assists the boss and makes decisions on behalf of the boss especially when the boss is unavailable, e.g. ill or in prison. The underboss will often deal with internal disputes and discipline while the boss (or frontboss) deals with matters that involve different families, though this is not a hard and fast rule. Penne fulfills this role in the Alfredo Family.

Consiglieri - The consiglieri or counsellor is below the boss but on the same level as the underboss. The consiglieri's role is to act as an impartial advisor to the boss. As such the consiglieri will usually not have many direct reports, though he may have one or two soldiers or captains who report to to him, often people who he has personally mentored. Orzo fulfills this role in the Alfredo family though he has a deep resentment for the Don due to past events. Orzo is around the same age as the Don a few years younger and remembers the injustice that happened to the Bolognese family.

Street Boss/Head Capo (represented here as 'Capo') - street boss, is A top Capo which has many soldiers beneath him and carries out pick-ups and extortion and is the first enforcer to hit a rival family. Rotelle, Gemelli, and Pici are Capos of the Alfredo Family although on the island of Soba they have no rival families.

Soldier - This is the lowest ranking "official" or made "on the books" member of a family. These are the grunts that do all the fighting and spying and dirty work. The Rigatoni fulfill this role in the Alfredo family.


	2. Ain't All It's Cracked Up To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toshi returns to The Jade Bangle after hanging out with the Strawhat Pirates on the eve of his 20th birthday. He finds the place empty and devoid of its usual patrons. His father is acting strange, and it feels like something's not quite right in Toshi's world. Find out what happens upon his rude awakening to the dark secret behind his past...and the things his father never told him...

Toshi quickly opened the door as he returned home to the Jade Bangle. The sun had long since set and he hoped he wasn’t in trouble for staying out so late. Normally the place would be PACKED with customers by now and he’d be needed behind the bar...

But tonight there was no one at the bar at all.

It was dark and quiet, so very unlike the place Toshi had grown up.

He walked through the empty tavern up onto the stage, running his hands over the keys of the piano that sat there unused. His mother was the pianist, after all. While his dad could sing, he couldn’t play any instruments and Toshi was only good with the harmonica. He remembered waking his dad at the crack of dawn on his 6th birthday to buy the thing.

“Heh…” He smiled and looked up at the picture of his mother. “I’m turning 20 tomorrow Mom…and if things go my way then I’ll be leav…”

“Toshi my boy…” Roshi’s gruff voice came from the door that led back into their living quarters.

“Pops!” Toshi’s eyes widened and he jumped up.

“You were out a bit late tonight…”

Toshi cringed. “Aww Pops come on! I never get to stay out late...”

“I didn't think you were going to be gone all night, we needed your help here at the bar.” He said in an accusatory tone, though Toshi knew good and well he’d closed the bar early from the looks of things…what he didn’t know was why.

“I'm here EVERY DAY. I didn't think one day would make a difference... I'm always...always here...” he looked away from his father.

“Of course you are! You're going to take over the tavern; this place is your home!”

“Pops....”

“I'm not going to buy any excuses you have!”

“POPS will you just listen?!”

Roshi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm glad you made some friends, really, but they’re PIRATES. They could be a bad influence...what if they come here tomorrow and rob us blind?”

Toshi grit his teeth and angrily pounded his fist onto the bar they were standing beside. “THEY WOULDN'T!!! Can't you see they're DIFFERENT?”

“Is that why you gave away half our alcohol stock to them for free?”

“It's not like that!!!”

“If you're going to be a businessman you can't be so generous with your 'friends,' if you can call them that. You've only known them for a day, not even 24 hours yet...”

Toshi had nearly had enough. “Well you know what, maybe I DON'T want to be a businessman! MAYBE I HATE THIS TAVERN!”

Roshi eyes widened in horror and shock. “HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? YOU GREW UP HERE! This place was mine and your mother's, it was EVERYTHING to us! Just like you are!”

“So that's it? I don't get to choose my own fate, huh? Everything's been planned out for me? It's not fair...”

Roshi froze, his voice becoming husky. “Toshi my boy...you don't know how right you are...”

Toshi instantly felt regret filling his chest. “I’m sorry, Pops…I shouldn’t have said all that…it’s just…” he trailed off, knowing what he really wanted to say would insult his father even further rather than help him to understand. Roshi wasn’t very good at dealing with emotions, not at all, that’s why Toshi was so surprised when his father choked back a sob.

“Pops, what’s wrong?!” Toshi was horrified; surely just a little argument wouldn’t be enough to drive his father to tears?! Toshi approached him slowly, knowing how much his father disliked physical affection, at least after Toshi had turned 13 and Roshi had begun trying to toughen him up. He was always on about what was manly and what wasn’t and how crying was ESPECIALLY not manly.

“I closed the bar tonight so we could spend some time together…it’s…nothing, really. I’m fine!” he turned his head slightly and rubbed at his eyes. “This place really needs a good dusting…but that can wait ‘til after your birthday.”

“Pops…what’s going on?” Toshi’s brow furrowed in concern. This was so out of character for his father that he knew with certainty something was VERY wrong.

“Come here, Toshi…” Roshi held out his arms to his son and although hesitant at first, Toshi returned his father's embrace.

They stood there for awhile. “I’m sorry son, I’m sorry for all the things I couldn’t give you,” Roshi whispered. “I’m sorry you couldn’t have met your mother and your…”

“My what, Pops?”

“It’s…it’s nothing. I just want you to know, my boy, that I’m proud of you. No matter what happens from this day forth, you’ve always been the most important thing in my life, and I…I love you, son…” his voice hitched in the back of his throat and Toshi felt a warm wetness on his shoulder where Roshi had buried his head.

It was then that the dam broke and Toshi’s own tears began flowing. Years of being told not to cry can really take its toll on a person. Toshi held his father and cried with him. “I…I’m not sure why I’m supposed to be so sad…but this…it just feels good to get it all out I guess…”

After a long moment, Toshi wiped his eyes on the back of his hand and pulled back from his father, quickly bringing two flasks out from his jacket. “We really could use a drink after that. Hah…” he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

“Well…” Roshi trailed off. “It’s a bit later than I thought. Maybe you should get to bed, you’re going to need your strength for tomorrow.”

Toshi grinned. “Does that mean you DO have a surprise party planned for me?”

Roshi turned his back and had already started walking down the hall. “I wish I did, son…I wish I did…”

“Pops…” Toshi puzzled his father’s strange behavior over in his head. What could have happened to make him act like this? It was almost as if he thought he’d never see Toshi again. But that was ridiculous! Unless…Toshi’s dream of leaving the tavern HAD come true. Maybe his Pops knew more about what he was thinking than Toshi had thought. But Toshi had never let on to having such a desire, feeling like it was too selfish a thing. After all, they only had each other.

Toshi yawned, all that walking and flair bartending with his new friends was starting to make him sleepy. He decided his dad was probably just really missing his mom right now, and with a final, “Goodnight, Pops!” he scurried off to bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and grinning at how much fun tomorrow was going to be.

oOo

Toshi was awakened in an extremely rude way the next morning. Someone was shaking his shoulder and hissing in his ear, “Get up, Toshi! Don’t make me pour water on you!”

The voice sounded familiar but he was still at the edges of dreamland.

Another familiar voice chimed in, “You don’t have to be so mean to him, it’s his birthday you know!”

Toshi’s eyes snapped open. “UNCLES!!!!!!” Penne and Farfalle were on either side of his bed and Toshi bounced up from under the covers.

“Quiet, you fool, you don’t want to wake your father…” Penne growled, looking over his shoulder, a hand on the hilt of the sword he always wore at his hip.

“Seriously, Uncle Penne? I thought this was supposed to be my birthday surprise, not even pancakes or anything for me?” Toshi pouted.

Farfalle gulped, his face stricken with remorse. “Toshi…” he put a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You need to come with us, get dressed and gather your things…”

“You guys are weirding me out. Okay, but I just know this is going to be the best damn birthday surprise ever!”

“Whatever, kid, just hurry…” Penne spat and they both exited the room to give Toshi a few minutes.

Toshi dressed quickly grabbing as many flasks as he could from his personal stash, which seemed to be endless, and stuffing them into the pockets that lined the inside of his jacket. He then grabbed his harmonica and stuck his nunchaku into the pocket on the side of his cargo shorts, thinking maybe Uncle Penne would have a sparring match with him today in honor of him becoming a man.

“READY!!!” Toshi bounced out into the hall, when Penne clapped his bony hand over Toshi’s mouth.

“QUIET. Geez…what is WRONG with you?”

“Hey!” Farfalle piped up. “It’s still his birthday Penne, you really shouldn’t be so…” he trailed off at the venomous glare the swordsman shot him.

“Don’t forget who you work for, tubby. This isn’t a game and Toshi’s not your real nephew, we’re here to do a job. Just like we always have. For twenty damn years we've had to follow this brat around and it’s finally time to bring him in for the harvest!”

“What…? I…I’m confused. Uncle Penne, what...what do you mean?” Toshi’s chest ached from hearing the tone of his voice. He'd always thought his surrogate ‘uncles’ had really cared for him…

“Don’t listen to him Toshi!” Farfalle patted him on the back. “He’s just grumpy because he skipped breakfast…”

“As if I could ever grab a morsel to eat with you around…” Penne shook his head in disgust.

“Well if the Don wouldn’t waste so much food maybe I wouldn’t be compelled to eat it all!”

“That’s a poor excuse for being a fatso…”

“Guys guys….” Toshi was really starting to get concerned. “Who’s this 'Don' guy?”

A wicked sneer split Penne’s hollow face. “Well why don’t you come along for your birthday surprise and you’ll meet him?”

“STOP!” Roshi’s voice rang out from down the hall. “You can’t take him…not yet, please just one more day…it’s his birthday…” the pleading tone of his father scared Toshi more than he’d thought was possible. There really WAS something going on here, something not right…!

“Don’t be a fool, Roshi, you had your twenty years! Maybe if you’d had the sense enough to hang on to the first one, you could have kept your pet boy here!”

“How DARE you….” Roshi marched forward to Penne, right until they were face to face. “You come into my house day after day and I don’t say a word because I CAN’T and now you’re going to tell me I can’t even have my precious last day with him?! You’re scoundrels, the lot of you…I knew you were all cruel, but this…”

“You knew what you signed up for, you bumbling old drunk...”

Roshi reared back his fist and threw a punch, but Penne was faster.

He struck Roshi with the hilt of his sword, knocking him off his feet. Roshi hit the ground with a loud thud and a stifled cry as the wind was knocked out of him. He began crawling toward Penne, who only kicked at him with his overly polished, pointy green shoes,

“Look at you…. You’re PATHETIC. Why Fiori ever loved you I could never guess…ladies' man Koshi, OHHH so talented Koshi Roshi... ‘He makes me laugh!’ she would say to me… who gives a DAMN. Look where she ended up thanks to you…DEAD!” He stomped the heel of his foot into the hand that Roshi had outstretched while trying to grab Penne's ankle.

“POPS!!!!!!” Toshi yelled and reached for his nunchaku.

“SEIZE HIM.” Penne ordered and Farfalle had no choice but to comply.

The round man wrapped his arms tightly around Toshi and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t even budge an inch.

“LEMME GO! LEMME GO!!!!!! I….didn’t know you had this much…power…why didn’t you ever…IT DOESN’T MATTER, JUST LET ME GO!!! POPS!” His voice became ragged.

Penne lifted his chin, sneering at Roshi once more and then spit on him. “You’re dead to me. You had it all and you WASTED it. Have a nice life all alone, old man…”

He turned on his heel and stalked out of The Jade Bangle.

Farfalle cast an apologetic glance at the broken man before him. “I’m sorry Roshi…” he whispered and then with the swiftness a man of his size would not normally possess, he too was gone.

oOo

Toshi opened his eyes many hours later in a strange place. 'They must’ve drugged me or knocked me out,' he thought, unable to remember how he’d gotten there.

He was sitting at the head of a long wooden table that spanned nearly the entire room in a plush chair with red cushions. The ceiling was vaulted and held a single flamboyant chandelier that was not yet lit due to the natural sunlight brightening the room. There were many paintings covering the walls, and before him was a bountiful feast. Turkey, ham, fruits and vegetables and loaves of bread. Cakes and pies and cookies, but not a drop of alcohol to be seen.

“Hello?” He called. “Is this my birthday surprise? Because it really sucks…” Toshi gritted his teeth, grinding them together at the memory of what Penne had done to his father.

“HEY, ASSHOLES!” He screamed and tried to stand up only to find both his legs and arms had been firmly tied to the chair. “DAMMIT!!!!” He tried pushing himself forward with his own body weight but the chair was too heavy.

Toshi sighed. “If only I could reach one of my flasks…” His tongue felt like sandpaper. He’d had nothing to drink since the night before, which was far longer than Toshi had ever gone without a drink…

Suddenly he felt a breeze and heard a small ‘whoosh’ directly next to him.

“Who’s there?!” He demanded, looking around the room frantically, becoming a bit frightened. “Are you a…a…ghost?” Toshi whispered the last part for as he spoke the word a man appeared before him out of thin air. Wait, no...that wasn’t quite right. Not out of the air but it almost looked like…no… that kind of thing wasn’t possible! Toshi let out a nervous laugh as the specter leaned in closer to him.

“So you’re the famous Toshi…my little replacement…hmmm.” The man who looked at least seventy stood insanely still in front of Toshi, and when he leaned forward again it was almost like watching someone fold a piece of paper… No! Surely Toshi must be going mad from thirst…

“I didn’t know I was famous…” Toshi snorted. “And who might YOU be? You’re awfully…”

“Thin?” The old man smirked and bent back quickly with a snap. It was true. He was thin. Almost inhumanly so. His cheekbones were like hollow gray pits adorning his face, his eyes much too large for a man his age. It looked mismatched on him. Those gray eyes had dark black bags beneath him as if he hadn’t slept in years. And from the looks of it he hadn’t eaten in years, either…

“Why am I here?”

A raspy laugh escaped from the pencil thin lips of the old man. “Oh Toshi, naive little Toshi…I guess I shouldn’t expect you to know who I am. Your father hates me, you know, for what I did to your family. He blames ME for her disappearance even though we all know it was his own NEGLECT that lost her. She was supposed to be mine you see…”

Toshi was becoming more confused by the minute. “I really think you’ve got the wrong person. Look it’s been fun but this isn’t exactly how I pictured spending my birthday…”

“SILENCE! Listen to me when I’m talking to you! Trust me, you won’t be going ANYWHERE ever again. Such insolence! This is what I get for letting Penne and Farfalle oversee your grooming, they’re too soft on you…”

“Grooming?! I…”

The old man slapped his hand over Toshi’s mouth. It felt like ice.

“MMM!!!!”

“You’re nowhere near ready. I guess I’ll just have to do everything myself! Incompetent nitwits, the lot of them! AND WHO COOKED THIS TURKEY?” He bellowed over his shoulder toward the open door.

A meek looking chef dressed all in white stepped forward. “I...I did, sir… I worked for hours, made it to your very specifications…”

“DON’T MOCK ME! IF I WANTED TO EAT SAND I WOULD’VE GONE DOWN TO THE SHORE AND STUCK MY FACE INTO IT!!!!!!!!” He grabbed a butter knife from the table and thrust into the chef’s hand. “Kill yourself, you are of no use to me…” He then picked up the large silver platter that held the offending turkey and slammed it over the chef’s head.

He immediately crumbled into a heap and the old man yelled out, “RIGATONI! Remove this dead body, it offends me…”

Toshi’s eyes widened. “My God…what, what gives you that kind of right, old man?!”

He seemed to disappear for an instant and then before he knew it the old man was back in his face, reaching out his hands to clutch at Toshi’s throat. “What gives me that right? What gives ME that right?! HOW CAN YOU HAVE LIVED HERE ON THE PORT OF SOBA FOR TWENTY YEARS AND NEVER HAVE HEARD OF ME, DON FETTUCICNE ALFREDO, MASTER AND COMMANDER OF THIS MISERABLE ISLAND?!!!!!!!!!”

He pulled his hand back and Toshi let out a small sigh of relief.

“Not a baby is born here, not a beli is spent here, not a BLOODY WHISPER IS SPOKEN BETWEEN LOVERS IN THE NIGHT HERE THAT I AM NOT AWARE OF! Why do you think we’re such a big port? Why are there so many pirates here all the time? Foolish, naïve boy! Your father’s been feeding you alcohol and LIES your entire life! That’s no matter now though, it’s time to wake up, this is your new world and you’re in the MIDDLE OF IT!” Another knife appeared out nowhere and the Don threw it at Toshi, the blade sticking in the cushion of the chair directly between his legs.

Toshi narrowed his eyes. “Is that all you got, you old buzzard?”

“Insolent mongrel!!!!!” The Don backhanded Toshi with a sickening crack, a red welt popping up on his cheek. “Maybe that will teach you to honor your superiors! And to think I’m left with you as my only choice for an heir…” The old man clucked his tongue in disappointment.

“Wait…WHAT?!”

“Did you think you were just here for shits and giggles? This is a BUSINESS. A FAMILY business at that. You blithering moron…”

“Family business???”

“Do I have to tell you EVERYTHING?!”

“Being as that I didn’t ask to be here, yeah I think an explanation would be nice.”

“Since your father was so kind as to hide my existence from you, I suppose you DO deserve that much…”

“SPIT IT OUT!!!!!!” Toshi screamed, his thirst putting him more and more on edge by the minute.

The Don’s left eye twitched and he loomed over Toshi, pulling on a large fur coat as he slowly leaned closer until they were eye to eye. “What a pathetic heir they’ve sent me. Insolent, arrogant, weak, whiny, childish, and so utterly IGNORANT! This is a family business, who other than a blood member of my family could possibly take it over? I’M YOUR GRANDFATHER, YOU FOOL!”

Toshi felt his mouth dry out completely as it dropped open in despair. “No...you…you…can’t be…he would’ve told me! My Pops would’ve told me!”

“Weren’t you paying attention?!!!!!!! The man hates me!”

Toshi shook his head. “Gee, I can’t imagine why…”

“I should’ve known better, I should’ve told her no, I should’ve have had her marry Penne like we originally planned. Then we could have had a PROPER heir to my family, but no, I’m stuck with YOU. You and your worthless father! 'Oh, I love to sing and play piano! Daddy we’re going to open up a bar! OH DADDY HE MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I’M FLOATING ON AIR!'”

“MY POPS ISN’T WORTHLESS!!!” Toshi struggled in vain against the ropes once more.

“My ONE weakness was that I loved my daughter, and you can bet I never made that mistake again!”

Toshi stopped struggling, he was breathing heavily from the strain. “What makes…you think…I’ll go along with this…?”

“Because you don’t have a choice, my dear Toshi! If only your sister had been a good girl, you’d be free to live your miserable life in whatever frivolously dull and meaningless ways you pleased, but being that she decided to skip town before you were born…well you can see what I’m getting at here.”

“Si…SISTER?!!! I don’t--I don’t have a sister!”

“Oho…so he hasn’t told you that either? Tsk. I should have questioned Penne and Farfalle better about your upbringing. He didn’t even trust you enough to tell you that…”

“You’re lying…” Toshi narrowed his eyes.

“Am I?” an eerie calm seemed to settle over the old man. He reached into one of the dishes on the table to grab a spoon of mashed potatoes, smelled it first then gingerly put a bit in his mouth… His face immediately regained its fire. “WHO MADE THIS?!!!!!!!!! I’LL HAVE THEIR HEADS!!!!!!!! WORTHLESS! I hired the very best chefs who have trained at the very best schools in the entire GRAND LINE and they STILL can’t even make something so simple as BLOODY MASHED POTATOES! I MAY AS WELL BE EATING FINGERNAILS FOR ALL THE LUMPS IN HERE!”

He picked up the ceramic bowl and heaved it against the wall. It splintered into a million tiny purple pieces, the potatoes sticking to the wall and slowly rolling down to the floor.

“What the hell is WRONG with you?!”

“Nothing in life pleases me, that’s what, ESPECIALLY NOT MY DAUGHTER’S CHOICES! So you’re wondering why you HAVE to be here? Besides being the only blood member of the Alfredo line here?”

He reached deep into his fur coat. The thing was so massive that it would seem to engulf him had he put his arms through the sleeves. Instead, he wore it slung around his shoulders. His hand finally retrieved an old photograph. It was a young girl; curly brown hair, green eyes with round glasses. She looked so familiar…

“My mother?”

“Your attention span is barbaric! This is your SISTER! Koshi Hoshi, the original heir to the Alfredo family. This was taken shortly before her disappearance.”

“No...that has to be my mom…looks just like her!”

“So do you, Toshi. Remarkably so, even…” His face softened for the barest of moments before the hard mask of ashen gray skin and steel eyes returned.

Toshi looked away, hurt rising up within his chest. There was so much his father hadn’t told him…had hidden from him…

“That’s right, I can see you’re finally coming to your senses. Good boy. How could your father possibly love you and LIE to you for all these years? Don’t you DESERVE to know about these things? Well here, I’ll teach you. Everything you want to know and more. We’re going to become the best of friends you and I, Toshi my boy…”

Toshi choked back a sob. “DON’T…say that!!! You can’t replace him! I’m NEVER going to be your friend! MY FATHER LOVES ME!”

“Stubborn! JUST LIKE YOUR MOTHER!” The Don picked up a random plate from the table, one that held a glorious chocolate cake, and hurled it at the wall opposite the mashed potatoes. “I’LL show you how much your parents loved you, boy! ENOUGH TO SELL YOUR SOUL SO THAT THEY COULD BE TOGETHER! And we see how long THAT lasted!”

From the recesses of his fur coat, he brought out two identical contracts, save for the names scrawled upon them, and thrust the slightly crumbled and browning papers in front of Toshi’s face. “THIS should be proof enough for you. It’s the only way I let them be together. First, Hoshi was promised to me. My FEE for letting your pathetic father even TOUCH my daughter. Thirteen years later, just when they’d given up hope, YOU were conceived...and then you killed her. YOU KILLED MY FIORI!”

Toshi’s eyes blurred with tears as he read the words. It was true. His father had signed his life away before he was even born. Toshi’s hopes vanished like water down a drain. He saw his life laid out before him now. A life of servitude, thrust into a role he never wanted.

“Luffy…” He choked out as a single tear finally escaped and slid down his cheek, dropping onto the paper. He’d wanted his freedom so badly. Luffy had given him so much hope, made him think it was finally possible.

Now he’d never have the chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see the end of Chapter one for the Names/Ranks Key. http://archiveofourown.org/works/1497223/chapters/3161881
> 
> This fic is crossposted at fanfiction.net under AESP INC and at our DeviantArt group The Untold Voyages.


	3. I’ll Tell You What’s Fair

What Toshi hadn’t told his father about the night before, was that he and the Strawhats had stayed up past midnight drinking on the deck of the Merry-Go. Though it seemed no matter how many drinks Toshi threw back, he never got drunk. Nami and Zoro had the highest tolerance for alcohol on the ship by far, but even their cheeks went rosy and their words started slurring after awhile. 

Toshi had found a spot in the kitchen and started mixing drinks, half of which he drank himself, along with several of the flasks he kept his jacket lined with. A good majority of the crew had ended up getting drunk. Chopper barely had half a glass and went three sheets to the wind, dancing with his equally lightweight Captain, chopsticks firmly shoved up their noses.  
All too soon Toshi had to leave, and they all promised to make his 20th birthday tomorrow one to remember!  
Nami waved at the retreating figure of the young man and finished off her last drink quickly. Her eyes widened as she was suddenly forced to lunge forward to catch the very drunk and over enthusiastically waving Usopp before he tumbled headfirst off the ship and into the harbor.  
He mumbled in protest, “I wasn't gonna fall...” but quickly steadied himself at the sight of Nami’s serious face, remembering that they had something to talk about. 

Luffy whooped and hollered from his perch atop Merry’s head, grabbing the sheep’s horns and launching himself back onto the deck. He bounced right off of Zoro who had fallen asleep on deck. “WHOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Zoro, having been so rudely awakened from his slumber, growled, “OI! Luffy!” then crossed his arms and walked off to find a better place to sleep, muttering about how he hoped that Toshi would give them sake at the tavern tomorrow.

Usopp barely held in a snicker. “Should we call a meeting now?” He leaned up against the rail, willing his eyes to focus. 

Nami clucked her tongue in disapproval. “You're wasted! Besides, do you really think Luffy is going to listen?!

“I can't help it!! Toshi kept serving me that really good drink with the umbrella in it!”

Nami nodded towards Robin and Sanji who were standing nearby. “There's something we all need to talk about...

Sanji sensed the seriousness in Nami’s voice and refrained from warbling a love tune, instead he leaned forward in anticipation. “Nami-san, what is it?”

Robin, whose remarkable calm never failed her, tilted her head with interest towards Nami. "Do tell," she said.

Nami took a deep breath. “Well, I don't know if you noticed, but we were being followed today...I think it might have something to do with those two men who came in to talk to Toshi's dad while we were at the bar...”

“Followed...?” Sanji asked then started thinking back on the last few hours they’d spent in the market. “Now that you mention it, I do remember something odd like that...men in black suits. I figured they might have been security at first, but this doesn't seem like that kind of island...” He lit up a cigarette and continued. “This doesn't make any sense...if those men had something to do with the old man in The Jade Bangle, then I have to wonder what he's hiding…”

Nami nodded. “I think Toshi has something to do with it too but he seems blissfully unaware...I think it's a good thing we're staying in that case.”

Usopp agreed. “Something just seemed really off about old man Roshi when he was talking to those uncle guys. Whatever it is, I don't think Toshi has any idea what's going on...and if he does, he's better at hiding it than his father is.”

“Right,” said Sanji. “Well, it's too late to say that it's not our business...so we'll just have to keep an eye on things tomorrow.”

Luffy’s head suddenly popped into the middle of the group discussion. “HEY! Are you guys talking about meat? CUZ I COULD REALLY GO FOR SOME MEAT RIGHT NOW, SHISHISHI!”

Sanji was immediately annoyed. “It's after midnight, dumbass!! The kitchen is closed!”

“BUT SANJIIIIIIII I'M HUNGRRRRYYY! Hey! Were you guys talking about Toshi? He's really cool!”

“Yeah we were!” Usopp piped up. “We were talking about how much fun we had with him! Right guys?”

Chopper jumped onto Usopp’s shoulders, having come out of his fuzzy drunken stupor. “YEAH!! He said he's gonna do the chopstick dance with ME tomorrow!”

“YEAH!” Luffy agreed, pumping his fist. “CAN'T WAIT TO PARTY TOMORROW!” 

Nami could help but smile at all their enthusiasm. “Well, alright, the lot of you get to bed then!”

oOo

The next day they debarked from the Going Merry-Go, heading back to The Jade Bangle for Toshi’s birthday party.

Usopp was carrying a medium sized box that’d he’d wrapped in pirate wanted posters that the News Coo delivered them every once in awhile. “This'll be fun! I haven't been to a birthday party in a long time! Toshi's really gonna love the present I made him!”

Luffy grinned mischievously as he tried to take a swipe of frosting from the large cake Sanji was carrying. “Shishishi....”

Without skipping a beat Sanji kicked the offending hand away, remaining perfectly balanced. “Keep your damn hands off the cake!”

Luffy pouted. “But it looks so TASTY!!!”

With a shake of her head, Nami grabbed Luffy by the ear and pulled him to the front of the group. “You be on your best behavior,” she growled as Robin looked on laughing quietly behind her hand. 

“I just hope we're not too ear-“ Usopp was cut off as he noticed the green haired swordsman wandering off from the designated path. “OI. ZORO! The Jade Bangle is THIS way!”

Luffy managed to escape from Nami’s clutches and started running ahead. “SHISHISHISHI, I'M GONNA GO SEE THAT MEAT VENDOR AGAIN!!!”

“LUFFY GET BACK HERE!!!” she screamed in vain.

Sanji sighed. “Don't draw so much damn attention to yourself! …I already need a smoke.”

“At least wait ‘til we get to the bar!” Nami admonished when The Jade Bangle finally came into view. “Ahhh there it is!”

Usopp turned around to push the door open with his back, gripping the gift in his arms. “OI! We're here!” he announced, but nothing but silence answered him. 

Sanji was the next to enter with the cake, barely able to see over the top, it was so huge. “Old man! Where should I put thi—“ He stopped suddenly, sensing the eerie silence, and nearly dropped the cake as the figure moving on the floor caught his attention. “Old man?!”

Roshi was laying in a crumbled heap on the floor, shuddering breaths wracking his frame as he reached out his right hand. One of his fingers was twisted in an unnatural angle, the hand badly swollen and dripping blood.

“Oh my God, is he hurt?!!!” Nami nearly screamed as she ran to Roshi’s side. “CHOPPER, QUICK!”

Usopp tossed the gift he’d brought onto the bar and rushed over beside Roshi as well. “Wha-what happened?!!!” He felt a pang in his chest at the look of emotional turmoil on the man’s face. It was clear that his wound wasn’t the sole source of his pain.

Roshi looked up at the pirates, his face ashen and haggard from crying for many hours. With Chopper assisting him, he was slowly able to stand. Chopper immediately began looking at his hand and bandaging it.

Roshi winced slightly then let out a long sigh. “I…I'm fine, but...” his voice dropped to a lower and huskier tone, “He's gone...”

Luffy was immediately at his side. “OLD MAN! WHAT? Who's gone?! Nobody's here...that means...”

Roshi gulped hard and nodded, holding back another sob that threatened to escape his throat. “...Toshi...they took him this morning...”

Sanji put the cake down on of the tables and walked over to him. “It was those men...wasn't it? The ones you were talking with yesterday...”

“We couldn't help but notice that.” Usopp added.

Luffy was dumbfounded. “WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!”

Roshi looked at them one by one, noting the concern that filled their faces. “I’m sorry, I said some bad things about you yesterday…I had a little fight with Toshi, I just didn't...didn't want to let him go and I couldn't help but think about the fact they were coming today...”

“Wait,” said Nami, “you knew this was going to happen?!”

Luffy’s face was a mask of anger, his irritation growing by the minute and he shouted, “BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE TOSHI'S FRIENDS! HE CALLED THEM HIS UNCLES!”

Roshi scoffed. “They're no uncles, they're the lackeys of that horrible Don Fettuccine Alfredo, he runs this island...and he happens to be my father in law...”

A long silence filled the room, only the sound of Chopper wrapping the bandages around Roshi’s hand could be heard. 

Usopp was the first to break it, his voice tinged with horror. “What? Just what kind of guy are we talking about?!”

Sanji snapped his fingers. “Then that explains the men in the black suits who were following us yesterday...except it wasn't really us they were following, was it?”

“No,” answered Roshi, “they were keeping an eye on Toshi you see...he's going to be the new mob boss...”

The color fairly drained from Usopp’s face. “Mob...boss...?”

Roshi nodded. “Those so called 'Uncles' of Toshi’s were assigned by the Don himself to ‘groom' him so that when he turned 20, he would join ‘the family’ and began training under the Don himself to take his place... My own son…ON LOAN TO ME! It was part of the agreement Fiori and I made with the Don so that we could be married…”

Nami opened and closed her mouth, but no sound would come out. 

Sanji shook his head. “So that's it then, this island is run by a mafia? Anyone involved in something like that is scum. Heartless bastards, every one of them...!”

Nami patted Roshi’s arm sympathetically.

Sanji scowled. “Why the hell would you ever agree to something like that?!”

Luffy listened on, fairly stewing in anger at this point, gritting his teeth and clenching and unclenching his fists. 

“Because, boy!” Roshi answered passionately, “I was in love!! She was the Don's only daughter, what else could I do?! I would've given anything to be with her! I just never knew it would be THIS hard... It was already hard enough losing her when Toshi was born…” 

Sanji suddenly felt himself sympathizing with Roshi, his eyes began to burn. “Of course...you did it all for the woman you love...I understand that completely. I would probably have done the same for a woman as lovely as your Fiori-san!!”

Roshi’s eyes darkened. “But my wife wasn’t the only thing I lost...come with me, there’s something I want to show you…”

He led the group farther back into The Jade Bangle to a door that led down a dark staircase into a musty and cobwebbed basement. He lit a candle and led them down a flight of wooden stairs to show them the Koshi family’s dark secret.

A metal contraption of sorts stood in the center of the basement. It had four containers, in gradually decreasing sizes, some with spouts, one with a heating device beneath it and swirling tubes between each of them. The far wall of the basement was lined with bookshelves that were chock full of books on agriculture, horticulture, gardening, and the like. Directly in front of the bookcases were several cardboard boxes stuffed with gardening supplies, seeds, and clothing. 

Nami quirked an eyebrow, putting a hand to her hip. “I’m confused, what…what is all this?”

Luffy squatted next to the metal contraption, poking at it. “This is neat, old man! What do you do with it?”

Roshi cleared his throat, hoping that he’d be able to continue on without breaking down. “This all belonged to my daughter, Hoshi…before…before she ran away. She…found out about the deal Fiori and I made with the Don…and then she was gone.” His voice choked up and he paused to compose himself, as he walked over and caressed the largest metal container. Years of neglect had caused a thin layer of rust to form on it. “We built this together, Hoshi and I. It’s called a still; you can make your very own alcohol with it. Strong stuff too although Hoshi never had a taste for liquor. Not like my Toshi…” He coughed violently for a minute then resumed. “Technically it’s against the law but being a pirate infested, mob-run island here, no one really batted an eye, especially not to the Don’s son-in-law.” 

Zoro looked intrigued. “So it doesn’t work anymore I guess…” he said with a slight air of disappointment. Some booze sure would be good about now. 

Nami shot Zoro a look that said he was being insensitive and she turned to Roshi. “How long has she been gone?”

Roshi looked away. “Since before Toshi was born. I don’t know if she’s even still alive. I…never told him about his sister. It was just too painful…losing her drove Fiori mad…” His eyes glazed over as he remembered that time a little over 20 years ago…

oOo

_"ROSHI!!!" The panic in Fiori's voice woke up him from his sleep more than the gentle shaking his wife was giving him. "Roshi..." The tears running down her face were a testament to the tragedy they were all about to be consumed by. "She's gone..."_

_The blond and gray haired man leapt from the bed, and ran down the hall nearly slipping on the rug as he raced towards his daughter's room. The door was wide open along with the drawers of Hoshi's dresser and a spot on her bookshelf. Her glasses and shoes were gone and there wasn't even a note._

_"This...this..." Roshi reached up and rubbed his forehead as he felt his heart begin to pound faster and harder. "She...she ran away." His knees hit the floor and he grabbed at the blankets on her small bed, pulling them to his face to smell their delicate scent that was Hoshi's, "DAMMIT! I knew we'd lose her eventually, but I didn't think it would be this soon... Why...WHY?!"_

_Fiori walked up behind him and placed a hand over his shoulder and then handed him a crumbled piece of paper over with her other hand. "She found out..."_

_Roshi stood and clasped Fiori's hand. "What...what do we do?"_

_Fiori was trembling and she buried her face in her husband's night shirt as she clung to him desperately. "I'm going to lose both of them now, Roshi...both my babies!" She sobbed and screamed and wailed against her husband and he held her for all he was worth and gently patted her stomach._

_"Don't worry, don't worry...we have to stay strong for this baby, for our unborn son. But what are we going to tell your father?" Roshi gulped back a sob of his own, he couldn't remember the last time he had cried._

oOo

_Don Fettuccine Alfredo had been livid. They could still hear his yells of 'YOU PROMISED ME THE FIRST BORN!' and the sad couple had been forced to sign yet another contract with the evil mafia boss promising the unborn child in Fiori's womb to 'the family'. Even all the tears and the loss of Hoshi could not sway Don Fettuccine's sympathy. He simply just didn't give a damn about anything except getting his heir._

__

_"Remember boy, a life for a life is an even trade. For your freedom your offspring will suffer. You chose it so don't even think of turning back!"_

_His words would continue to haunt Roshi for the rest of his life._

_Fiori's health dwindled in Hoshi's absence. It was all Roshi could do to get her to even eat regular meals. He pleaded with her and begged her to stay strong and do the right thing for the child that she now carried. It took every ounce of whatever she had left in her to stay alive so that the baby could live. Fiori had also lost her will to play piano and sing, and refused to do so even at the urging of her many regular clientele. Farfalle and Penne hadn't stopped coming every day to The Jade Bangle even though Hoshi was gone, and they spent most of their time comforting the poor woman while Roshi and Lo Mein served drinks. It was eerily silent in The Jade Bangle now a days, or Roshi would get out his musical Den Den Mushi to play some 'canned music' but whenever things were slow, Roshi himself managed to take the stage and make a name for himself. The town thought that up until now he was just being modest, but the man truly had the gift of music._

_Fiori eventually grew so thin that her jade bangle would no longer stay on her wrist. It would just keep slipping off and Roshi picked it up off of the floor of their bedroom floor one day with a sigh and sealed it into its original box that he placed on the dresser in their room. It had been his first gift to her and it hurt that she didn't even care about it anymore._

_The backyard that once flourished and teemed with life and plants became a brown wasteland and the still in the basement went unused and eventually rusted. The plants all withered up and died without their caretaker and Roshi couldn't look at the still anymore without remembering Hoshi's face as they worked on it together. It was simply too painful to do it without her._

_Roshi could only imagine the kind of despair and betrayal she must have felt to run away from home and leave everything behind. He wished everyday that he'd been a better father. Every day that he'd made her feel like she was the most precious thing in the world to him, but now he'd never have that chance._

_Six months later, Roshi awoke to the sound of his wife crying. It seemed like she hadn't ever stopped. He sat up in bed and rubbed her shoulders quietly whispering to her that it would be ok. Her stomach was now large and round with their second child. It seemed like she would pop any day now. The doctor had put her on bed rest for the last month of her pregnancy, and her due date was around two weeks from now. Roshi sighed as he remembered that she had hardly left her bed anyway since Hoshi disappeared. She'd made obligatory appearances at The Jade Bangle, but she was too depressed to do much but smile halfheartedly and wave before retreating back to her safe place._

_Fiori wasn't even half the person she used to be and Roshi wondered if she'd ever gain any semblance of normality. It seemed like he didn't do anything but worry and he didn't want his son to be born into a world where he felt like he was only second best and not wanted. Roshi had picked out all of the baby clothes himself, painted up the extra room for the baby (Hoshi's remained untouched) and repainted Hoshi's old crib. He was determined not to make the same mistake this time around and renewed his resolve to be the best father ever for his son._

_Fiori's sobbing suddenly stopped and she made something that sounded like a choking sound instead. She weakly reached up and grabbed Roshi's arm. "He's....coming..."_

_Roshi's eyes widened as he pulled back the sheets and saw the dark wet spot on the bed from Fiori's broken water. He jumped up and ran for the Den Den Mushi to call the doctor._

oOo

“… she died in childbirth. She was so weak she barely kept Toshi alive…” Roshi finished his story and fiddled with the jade bangle bracelet that adorned his right wrist, something that Toshi also wore.

“So Toshi had to take over Hoshi’s contract… that’s why he’s gone…” Nami trailed off. 

Luffy stood from where he had been playing with the still, face dark and fists clenched at his sides.

“There's nothing I can do now, the contract is binding...my poor Toshi boy...he didn't know his fate was already decided...”

“That...that's horrible!” Usopp exclaimed.

“What a tragic thing to have to go through...” Nami agreed, thinking of her own past. “I...I know what it's like, to feel trapped...”

Regret stained Roshi’s face. “I can't believe I was fighting with him about it...I'm such an old fool...”

Luffy turned to face them suddenly. “Where is he?!” he demanded. 

“…I'm sure by now he's at the Don's headquarters, in his mansion, it's in the center of the island, surrounded by a black iron fence, and heavily guarded…”

Sanji eyes filled with determination. “We'll help you, old man!! For a guy who would sacrifice so much in the name of love, we'd be heartless shitty bastards to look the other way at a time like this!!”

Roshi’s mouth dropped open. “You can't be serious...they'll kill you!”

“I DON'T CARE!!!” Luffy yelled. “I talked to Toshi yesterday and he told me how much he wanted to be free to choose his own path...I CAN'T LET THOSE BAD MEN TAKE THAT AWAY!!!!! IT'S NOT FAIR! EVERYONE DESERVES TO CHOOSE!

Nami grinned. “Well here we go then, Captain.” She patted Roshi on the shoulder. “We're ready for your orders, Luffy.”

Roshi’s expression was one of horror but yet tinged with slight hope. “You-you you have no idea what you're up against!”

Luffy cracked his knuckles and grinned. “I told you old man, I'M STRONG!”

Usopp took a deep breath. “I--I agree!! Toshi is our friend!” he then slid slightly behind the cook, “Go get 'em, Sanji!”

“OI!” Sanji shoved Usopp out from behind him. 

Luffy started up the stairs, the crew following close behind and the rear backed up by Roshi who was trying his hardest not to break down crying again. 

“Good luck, Strawhat Pirates.” Roshi said before giving them several bottles and flasks. “Please give these to Toshi as soon as possible, I’m sure he’s dying of thirst right now. And…if this works out, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you…”

Luffy clapped both his hands on the old man’s shoulders, looking him right in the eye. “The greatest gift you can ever give is the freedom to choose. Give that to Toshi and we’ll call it even, okay old man?” Luffy grinned.

Roshi had become so consumed with emotion that all he could do was nod.

“GREAT! LET’S GO EVERYONE!” Luffy and the others began their march to the center of town. 

They were, of course, being followed…


	4. You Can Call Me Mr. Prince

The main road led them straight to it. Roshi had called it a mansion but it was far bigger than any house any of them had ever seen. A huge wrought iron gate stood in the front. Men in black suits and sunglasses toting guns were guarding the front entrance. ‘Alfredo’ was emblazoned in iron upon the gate in a curly script. 

Luffy cracked his knuckles and smirked in anticipation. Things looked quiet for now, but Toshi was in there and he was determined he wouldn’t leave this mansion without him...

oOo

“Look at you, you’re pathetic…” the Don was pacing, hands behind his back as Toshi continued to cry quietly. “I was promised an heir and they send me a naïve little wimp…”

Toshi looked up at his grandpa defiantly, willing the tears to stop flowing as his eyes began to burn with anger. He couldn’t quite put one word towards what he was feeling right now. “I’ll never be what you want me to be,” he hissed. 

“Is that SO?” The Don rushed forward and reclaimed the knife he had thrown earlier, then pressed the blade tightly against Toshi’s cheek. 

Toshi shuddered at the sudden contact of the freezing cold metal and gasped as a thin line of blood appeared on his cheek, and dripped down onto the Don’s hand. 

The Don smirked and licked the drop off of his hand slowly, only to grimace and spit it out a second later onto the floor. “FEH! How is it that we have the same blood? Tastes like weakness to me…” 

He opened his mouth to speak again when there was a loud explosion coming from the courtyard. 

“WHAT?” 

“HISSATSU, KAYAKU BOSHI!!!” 

Toshi’s eyes widened, that sounded like…

The Don rushed onto the balcony that was connected to the dining room, pulling out a mini den den mushi from his coat to call for his right-hand men at once. “GET YOUR ASSES IN HERE!!!”

There they were; a group of pirates, seven strong, standing in a wide half-circle and fighting off all of his guards, the usually feared and respected Rigatoni.

A sniper; a swordsman; an orange haired girl with a blue staff; a man in a suit doing a handstand while twirling and kicking; a woman with black hair and piercing blue eyes, arms crossed in front of her, smiling mysteriously; a furry brown creature with horns, able to change his size at will; and finally, a boy in a straw hat, with the biggest grin he had ever seen.

“WELL THAT WAS EASY, SHISHISHISHI!!!” He stretched his arms out as the men in black suits kept continuing to try to overrun him and began punching fast, so fast that you could hear the whooshing noises. He sucked in a deep breath. “GOMU GOMU NOOOOO GATLING!!!!!!!!!!” Men were flying every which way as he knocked them unconscious at an insane speed.

The sniper, who had an abnormally long nose, looked up at the movement from the balcony. “LUFFY, UP THERE!!!” 

The Don’s hands gripped the railing. “How DARE YOU!”

“…SANREN KAYAKU BOSHI!” 

Three black pellets came hurtling towards him, and if not for Penne stepping in and slicing them all neatly in two, the Don would’ve taken them head-on.

“WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, YOU IDIOT?!” The Don reprimanded as Farfalle entered the room late, panting slightly.

“You worthless fools! It’s no wonder my heir is such a weakling with you as guardians all these years…”

Penne grit his teeth. “Sorry, Father Alfredo…” He didn’t sounds sincere in the least.

Toshi almost didn’t dare to hope it was them, but then Luffy’s voice rang out loud and clear.

“TOOOOOOOOOOOSHIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!”

He gasped, feeling the tears prick at his eyes again. “Luffy…” he whispered, and began struggling against his confinements even harder than before.

The Don growled, stomping back into the room with Penne and Farfalle in tow. “Go after them… Take out their strongest, and send out more of the Rigatoni!!!” 

“YES SIR!”

The Don began pacing the room, dipping his finger into a boat of gravy, only to grimace and spit again after he tasted it, hurling the boat through the open door. 

There was a shriek and a crash as the hot liquid spilled all over an unfortunate chef who was just bringing in a tray of coffee for the Don. 

He pretended not to notice as he walked back towards the struggling Toshi. 

“Toshi, Toshi, do you really think they’ll make it here? Hope is something for children and fools! Of which you certainly should be neither!” He smirked, slapping Toshi’s cheek in a patronizing way with his weathered hand. 

Toshi snarled.

“Hoho, don’t worry, in time you’ll come to respect and honor me. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.” He slapped Toshi good and hard before stalking back to the balcony.

oOo

“Try to keep up, you idiot!” Penne yelled over his shoulder as Farfalle stumbled behind him, his weight making it hard for him to run for extended periods of time.

“I’m….sorry…I’m…not…used…”

“CAN IT! Look, I’m going ahead, the stronger ones are going probably going to be able to infiltrate. Just take them down and do it fast!” And with that, he increased his gait and dashed out of sight.

Farfalle stood panting with his hands on his knees. “I’m…getting…old…” Farfalle was left alone within the mansion’s depths and began walking more slowly than usual, dreading to do the dirty work the Don demanded of him.

oOo

The Strawhats were battling it out in the courtyard as swarms and swarms of what the Don had referred to as his ‘Rigatoni’ kept pouring of what seemed like nowhere. They were like a mass of black ants scurrying out of a hole that had been stepped on by a careless trod of the foot.

The cunning chef, however, broke off from the group, setting out to do what he did best.

Sanji had managed to slip past the crowd thanks to one of Usopp's smoke bombs. One of the first things he'd noticed when they had broken into the courtyard was a steady column of smoke rising up from one of the chimneys in the mansion. He had dealt with many rich folk back on the Baratie, and they were all quite demanding and required their food a certain way. This 'Don' surely had a kitchen staff of his own to prepare his meals. He also knew that it was typical for the chefs to have their own entrances into places like this...and perhaps it wouldn't be quite as guarded. So he made his way around the mansion, dispatching any opposition in his path with a fierce kick or two. He was rather pleased to see that he had been right; sidling up against a wall, he carefully watched the wooden door up ahead.

A young man wearing a white chef’s shirt with an embroidered name patch that read ‘Tortellini,’ black pants and a small white hat atop his head exited the side door just then, holding a large dustpan filled with the shards of broken dishes with food and dirt mixed in. He carefully deposited his burden into one of the large trash cans to the left of the door and sighed with relief.

“...And I didn't cut myself this time either...shame about all that food though...” His lower lip jutted out as he pondered all the waste that came out of this house. He turned back to re-enter the kitchen when he spotted Sanji out of the corner of his eye. “Hey! Are you the new waiter?”

Sanji cringed upon having been spotted and a curse was just at the tip of his tongue before he realized the fact that the youngster had mistaken him for one of the staff. Something that could actually work out in his favor if he played his cards right. 

The chef stepped away from the side of the building, a lit cigarette in hand. “Oh, that's me. Just on my cigarette break,” he drawled as he straightened his suit a bit. “I thought I still had two minutes left.”

Tortellini frowned. “You're late! The Don REALLY doesn’t like to be kept waiting...” he trailed off, mumbling something under his breath about him never eating anything they cook anyway. “Well, alright mister...just come back to see me and Ravioli, the head chef, when you're done. We have a lot of dishes that are going up to the Don and we're hoping he'll finally find something he likes...” He made a pained face as he continued, “I've never actually seen him, since I stay in the kitchen mostly, but I think you should know…you're the third waiter we've had to hire this week... so be careful...” Tortellini gulped, looking up at him with worried eyes.

Sanji stared back at the kid for a moment before nodding. "Of course, I understand. Don't worry about it, I'll be right there." He took another purposeful drag on his cigarette as he watched Tortellini nod quickly and then hurry back into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.

This was perfect. A direct route to the Don himself. Sanji couldn't have asked for a better turn of events. He took his time finishing his smoke, listening to the faint sounds of combat in the distance, before finally dropping the butt to the ground and grinding it out with the toe of his shiny shoe. 

Showtime. 

He casually walked toward the door that Tortellini had disappeared through and opened it up, stepping inside. 

To say the kitchen was bustling would have probably been an understatement.

Chefs were running back and forth, a thick steam filled the air, and there were several ovens filled with hams and turkeys. More than a few pots were boiling atop the stoves, a tea kettle or two thrown in the mix singing to announce that the water was ready and still more chefs were crowded around an island countertop in the center of the kitchen, working on the presentation of the dishes. 

A middle-aged man with neatly combed brown hair and an equally well groomed mustache stood next to one of the large stoves as he talked with Tortellini. “You said the new waiter was here, right? These dishes are ready to go.” He gestured to a glistening ham with pineapple slices covering it and toothpicks with maraschino cherries skewered through them, as well as a bowl of green bean casserole with the fried onions in a ring around the dish. 

Tortellini perked up when saw Sanji standing at the door. “Ah! There he is!” He waved him over, “Over here!!!”

Sanji spotted the boy and strode over purposefully, as if he belonged there. The delicious aroma of food teased his nose and he had to admit, the dishes didn't look half bad. He joined Tortellini and his obvious superior a moment later.

“What's got you guys all stirred up, anyway?” He asked. Sanji knew rich people were demanding, but by the looks of it one might think they were preparing for a major holiday.

Ravioli looked nervous. “He didn't tell you about the others, did he?” He glanced down at Tortellini, thinking about how they couldn’t possibly afford to lose another waiter. Ravioli knew from working for the Don for so long that if any of the chefs went in there, they sure as hell weren’t coming back out alive…

“Erm...well, you see...” he began, thinking how best to put his concerns. He didn’t want to speak badly about the Don because there are so many men around. The Don had ears and eyes everywhere, and any of them could go back to him and tell him what he said and he'd surely be the next head on the chopping block. Ravioli was still carefully considering his words when Tortellini piped up.

“The Don is a real asshole!” 

“TORTELLINI!” Ravioli grabbed him and clapped a hand over the boy’s mouth. “Don't mind him. It's just...well we're the personal chefs just for Don Fettuccine Alfredo. His....taste buds are very sensitive....and he requires his food cooked to certain specifications. He wants a constant stream of food in his grand dining room, so we're obliged to keep it filled day and night with new dishes... He, ah....has a temper on him, that one...and...I'm sorry to say not much from our kitchen pleases him. You'll see what I'm talking about once you see him…” He glanced around nervously for the any sign of the black suited men, but luckily there were none. “Just…”

Tortellini pried Ravioli’s hand away from his mouth and stepped forward. A look of genuine concern crossed his face as he looked up at Sanji. “Be careful, Mister... the last guy who came out of there had two black eyes and a broken back...he...didn't make it through the night...”

Ravioli eyes widened as he hastened to reassure the new ‘waiter.’ “OHHHHHHHH, the kid's just exaggerating! You know how these rich types are!” He faked a laugh but his smile never reached his eyes. 

Sanji had quickly sobered at what Tortellini said, and though Ravioli was quick to laugh it off and dismiss that statement, the chef could tell that the youngster hadn't really been exaggerating at all. Of course, he had already known the Don was some kind of irredeemable jerk, old man Roshi had told them as much...but if men were really killed over an unsatisfying meal, then Toshi was in more trouble than any of them might have thought. Furthermore, the kitchen staff was being threatened as well...and he felt that he couldn't let that go. Somewhere inside him, he felt a need to protect them. 

He looked up and met Ravioli's eyes. “Then we'll give him a meal he can't possibly hate. I know my way around a kitchen, Chef-san. Let's work together on this.”

The older man quirked an eyebrow at the blond chef. "You? But you're just a waiter...sure, you might know your way around a kitchen, what waiter wouldn't, but... I don't think it's a good idea, boy...you've only just gotten here, you have no idea what this place is like..." His eyes darkened with recollections of things past.

Sanji did his best to suppress the smirk that tugged at his lips. "I may have been hired as a waiter, but cooking is my true passion." He tapped the nearest working chef on the shoulder to get his attention and deftly plucked the knife from the man's hands as he said, "Pardon me a moment." He continued to speak to Ravioli, barely looking at the cutting board in front of him as he expertly chopped several vegetables at once, almost more quickly than the eye could follow. "In fact, my old man was also a chef. Taught me everything he knew." He finished chopping with a flourish and fluidly tossed the contents into a nearby frying pan.

Ravioli’s eyes widened. He was visibly impressed, and he began to feel hopeful for the first time in years. The older man clapped a hand on Sanji's shoulder. “Well, you’re brave, I’ll give you that, son. Maybe...maybe you're right. So, what did you have in mind?”

Tortellini pumped his fist in the air excitedly. “We're going to make something new?!”

Sanji gave Tortellini a bit of a smirk, stepping away from the stove so that the chef he'd interrupted could get back to work. “Something the Don will love so much, he'll be licking the crumbs from the floor. First, let me see what you have in stock. I've got a few ideas.”

Ravioli gestured him towards the back left of the room. “This way...oh, I never asked for your name! Must've slipped my mind with all this madness...” He began leading them to the Don's personal pantry. It was so huge that it was more like a separate room. 

“Ah, you can call me Mr. Prince," Sanji replied as he followed after him, gazing at all the items stacked on the shelves. “Oh! This is impressive for a pantry.” 

“Well thank you, Mr. Prince! I stocked it myself...one of the perks of living in a port, we always get the best and freshest ingredients right away... Take whatever you need.”

Sanji began browsing the stock, picking up anything that looked like it could be useful in their quest to create the perfect dinner for the Don. He ended up sending Tortellini out with an armful, only to greet the boy with another when he returned to the pantry. Next, he had Ravioli escort him to the freezer to choose the main dish. There were many quality meats; steaks, sausages, whole plump turkeys and a very wide variety of fish. In the end, he couldn't resist choosing one of the fish. It looked so exotic, something he'd never had the pleasure of cooking up before. It was long, striped purple and iridescent blue, with black fins and a pleasantly plump underbelly. This was a perfect opportunity. He and Ravioli carried the fish back into the kitchen, where he began to instruct the chefs on how to prepare the side dishes he had chosen to go along with the fish.

Ravioli was thoroughly impressed by everything ‘Mr. Prince’ did, “You've...been cooking a long time, haven't you?” He watched closely as Sanji stood over the stove, and then again at the counter as he expertly prepared and cooked in a way that was so fluid it was almost like an artistic performance. “And so young, too!” he added.

Sanji gave him a crooked smile as he flipped the contents of the pan with just a flick of his wrist, then quickly stirred it as it landed. “Been cooking since I was just a brat.”

“I guess they hired you for the wrong position, you're a chef not a waiter!” The older man held a hand to his chin, nodding. “You know, I think you might be right about this! Finally something the Don will like!”

Sanji nodded. “That's the spirit, Chef-san. How's your dish coming along?”

“Good! I don't know how you did it but all the ingredients you picked are giving off this heavenly aroma, I've never smelled anything like it!”

Tortellini wiped his brow as he finished the prep work ‘Mr. Prince’ had assigned him. “I’m actually excited for once! I hate having to carry out all that food he doesn't eat... Most of it comes off the floor…” he trailed off, his mouth curving down into a frown.

Ravioli nodded in agreement to the boy. “...I feel just terrible about that too, and we're not allowed to touch the leftovers. One chef we had, name was Jack, took a bite off one of the plates that were sent back. The Don had him executed out in the courtyard...firing squad and everything...”

Sanji felt an anger stir inside of him at the mention of the Don's wasteful nature. He shouldn't be surprised, knowing what kind of man this guy was. Still, his grip on the spatula tightened and his jaw clenched as horrible images flash through his mind. A man being taken out and shot to death for daring to eat something that would only go to waste...it wasn't right. He felt a bit regretful at that moment for not lacing the meal with poison, although it would be a shame to ruin a perfectly good meal by doing such a thing. 

The chef's voice dropped a few octaves, the joy of preparing a delicious meal leaving his eyes. “I'll make sure that doesn't happen anymore. Food is a gift that should never be taken for granted.” 

Sanji remained silent for a bit, adding some spices to the dish before him at various intervals while the other two looked on. Finally he gestured for Tortellini to take the pan from him. “Finish this up while I go and check the fish.”

Tortellini’s eyes sparkled as he took over. “This is so much fun! Ravioli-san, do you think I could cook more often? I'm learning so much!”

Ravioli patted him on the shoulder. “Of course you can...just...be careful...”

Finally, the three men were finished preparing the meal. 

The head chef stood back and looked at the meal they cooked together. “I think we've done it, gentlemen! This is a crowning achievement! What I wouldn't give for one bite of it...”

Tortellini grinned yet again, he hadn’t felt this happy and excited since he’d started working here. “I can't wait to hear what he thinks about this!!! Get 'em, Mr. Prince!”

Sanji grinned back as he felt a sense of pride in them for their achievement. These were good guys, all of whom had a real love for their profession. They really worked hard on this big meal, and he could tell that they all felt accomplished. There wasn't a single face in the kitchen that wasn't shining as each of the staff admired the meal laid out on the cart. 

“That's right," Sanji said. "He'll be swallowing down his shitty insults along with this meal. You should all be proud!” He thumped Tortellini on the back and gripped the bar of the cart. “Anyone care to point the new guy in the right direction?”

Tortellini bounced on his heels. “I can show you the way!!! We have an elevator especially for this purpose; it opens up right next to the Don's dining room. Follow me!”

The boy led him to the elevator, which was more like a particularly large dumb-waiter. It had a large walk in space, but was rigged with ropes and pulleys for transport of waiters and their cargo.

Tortellini grabbed the ropes and began pulling. “Going up!” The door closed and he hefted them up to the next floor. “Here we go...” He opened the door for Sanji, but didn’t dare to stray too far from the elevator considering all the bad things usually happened beyond that point...

“See over there?” He pointed to a large opening lined with ornate gold carvings. There were two giant wooden doors with brass knockers but both were open. “It leads into the Don’s personal dining room where he spends most of his time. I've been hearing a lot of shouts and yells so please, Mr. Prince, be careful...” Tortellini looked up at him with eyes full of admiration. “Something's happening...but I don't know what...”

A loud booming voice suddenly echoed from within the great dining room. “WHERE THE HELL IS MY AFTERNOON MEAL? YOU BASTARDS ARE TAKING YOUR SWEET TIME WITH IT, EH?”

Sanji nodded at Tortellini and pushed the cart out of the elevator, though he stopped before the boy could close the door. He spoke just loud enough so that only the youngster could hear, his tone very serious and warning. “You're right about that. And something bigger is about to follow. You and the rest of the kitchen staff should evacuate the building. Don't ask questions. Just do it.”

He wrenched the door shut before Tortellini could reply, pausing only for a moment to light up a cigarette. He allowed himself to enjoy a drag before he continued to roll the cart into the large room, calling out in a pleasant voice, “Oi! Dinner is served, you shitty bastard!”

oOo

“SHISHISHISHISHISHI!” The laughter suddenly echoed through the great hall Farfalle was standing in. He’d finally almost made it to the foyer of the great mansion, but now it seemed as if he wasn’t alone…

He walked forward warily, palms up in a defensive position. He moved slowly, step by step towards the great room that was the entrance of the Alfredo mansion. 

“HEY!!!” Suddenly a boy clamping his straw hat tightly on his head was swinging upside-down above him. “This place is pretty nice!” 

Farfalle jumped back, clutching a hand over his heart. “It’s you!!!”

“YEAH! Hey are you bad or what? Cuz I’m going to have to kick your ass if you’re bad! SHISHISHISHISHI! OLD MAN ROSHI DIDN’T SEEM TO LIKE YOU MUCH!!! Were you the one that hurt him?! WERE YOU?” Luffy hopped down in front of him and starting marching forward, arms held out at his sides.

Farfalle hesitated, slicking back his orange hair nervously. “No, no, no…that was all Penne…they’ve never gotten along…”

“HMMM!!!!!!!! THEN WHY WOULD YOU TAKE TOSHI???” 

“I…I had to. The Don, he kills anyone who won’t obey him. I didn’t choose this kind of life…my parents were members of the mafia and I was just born into it… I’ve never agreed with what they do here, but I don’t have a choice…I never wanted to take Toshi away from his father, I love him as if he were really my own nephew…”

Luffy nodded with a serious face. “Hm! Then you need to help me get him back, Uncle-man!” 

Farfalle was speechless for a minute as he studied Luffy. The boy’s expression never changed or flinched, and the older man was compelled to question his actions. “You’re…you’re serious? You…you really want to go up against the Don?” He couldn’t fathom why such a complete stranger would do something like this for Toshi.

Luffy nodded in one swift, sharp movement. “OF COURSE!”

“But…you have no idea what you’re getting into! The Don…he…he’ll kill you.” Farfalle was holding his hands in front of him, wringing them over and over. 

Luffy’s serious face disappeared and was replaced by a wide grin. “Don’t worry Uncle man, I’M STRONG!” he announced, grabbing his bicep for effect.

“But…but…why?”

“Toshi’s my friend!” Luffy said, as if it were the most obvious fact in the world. 

Tears began glistening in the rotund man’s eyes. Toshi had finally found a friend amidst all the years of being protected by his father and Farfalle himself, always kept just slightly out of harm’s way, at arms' length from anyone and everyone. This new development made Farfalle happier than he could say.

“You really do care about Toshi! Anything you need then, it’s yours.”

“SHISHISHISHI, can you take me to Toshi and that Don Bastard? LET’S SET HIM FREE!”

oOo

The Don’s silhouette appeared in the doorway of the great dining hall. “WHAT...did you just say to me?!” Sanji’s sarcastic outburst had brought him away from the balcony. “Who the HELL do you think you are, boy?! Get your ass in here.......I want to taste what you've brought me...”

Sanji noted the shadowed form and how odd it looked. What the hell was with this guy, anyway? He certainly sounded like a rotten apple. The chef continued on into the room, pushing the cart of hot, steaming food. 

“Was that unprofessional? Sorry, I'm the new guy.” He barely hid a smirk at that, but it fell flat when he spotted Toshi tied to a chair on the other side of the room. And the Don himself...Sanji's cigarette dropped from his open mouth when he finally saw the old man clearly. He was so thin, so...emaciated...hell, Sanji would almost call him 'flat.' It was completely bizarre.

From across the room, Toshi eyes widened in surprise and he bit his lip to keep from calling out to Sanji. Just for a minute, though he allowed himself to gaze at him hopefully, then looked away and went back to struggling to get out of his bonds.

“Pick that shit up!” the Don spat angrily as he pointed at Sanji’s cigarette on the floor. “I don't want my mansion to catch on fire! So they hired me another worthless pretty boy...” He began pacing again. “Well...that food isn't going to serve itself!”

There wasn’t much room on the table for Sanji to place the new dishes; it was still filled with ones from the Don's last meal, minus what he’d thrown at the walls and onto the floor. 

Noticing Sanji’s hesitation, the Don took his arm and swept it across the part of the table nearest him, causing many dishes and food to crash to the floor. “There, you can put it here…”

The pirate chef nearly flinched at the Don's flagrant disrespect for food, especially now that he knew the men who labored tirelessly day and night to cook it. His eyes hardened dangerously as each plate smashed against the floor and the food went to waste. Clearly the Don was enjoying this... He forced himself to look away from the scene, lest he lose his temper too early, and instead snuck a peek at Toshi from the corner of his eye...

This had not gone unnoticed, however. “Oh, that's my grandson, the newest addition to our family.” The old man smirked and rubbed his chin. “He's going through some...conditioning...nothing at all for you to concern yourself with. Now...I don't LIKE to be kept waiting...” He stomped into the broken mess of food and dishes on the floor and ground his heel into it, his eyes narrowing and lips curling into an evil smile.

Sanji let his eyes take a quick sweep over the area, noticing several parts of the wall where dried food still stuck to it. Glass shards from the broken dinnerware were scattered along the edges of the room. A slow-burning anger began to work its way through his veins, but he pushed through it and began to set the dishes onto the table the Don had so carelessly cleared, his own shoes treading over the fallen food. A meal that the kitchen staff must have agonized over for hours just to make sure it was to the Don's liking. 

Once he had finished setting up the table, Sanji took a couple of steps backward, watching the Don carefully, wary of his reaction.

The Don nodded at him approvingly. “I have to say, your presentation is much better than the trash they've been serving me lately...perhaps you might be worth keeping around after all...” He studied his nails for a moment. “Hmmm...”

The old man picked up a fork, sinking it into the fish dish first and slowly, ever so slowly, he lifted it...then, like a finicky cat, he sniffed it delicately and placed the relatively small bite in his mouth.

There was a long pause before the Don's eyes widened momentarily from the intense flavors and textures contained in that one bite of food. “ ......this.....WHO MADE THIS?” He demanded. He set his fork down slowly as he swallowed, then picked up a napkin and dabbed at his mouth far longer than any normal person would before setting it back down, a blank look crossing his face.

Sanji eyed the Don carefully. “Your talented staff put their heads together and made it. They're more skilled than you think. So? What's the verdict?”

The Don only snorted in derision. “Talented? HARDLY! For 40 years now not ONE of my chefs has made anything that I can stomach, anything that tastes even remotely deserving of me eating it... You tell me those no-talent hacks have finally made something palatable?! You're LYING!”

He slammed his hand onto the table and it slowly flattened down, taking on a strange appearance almost as if it became a piece of paper. He narrowed his eyes at the blond chef.

Toshi shook his head, still struggling to free himself from his bonds. He could feel them gradually loosening. He’d had just about enough of his grandpa talking that way to Sanji, since he was more than a little positive that Sanji himself had made the dish. “YOU ASSHOLE! JUST ADMIT YOU LIKED IT! WHO CARES WHO MADE IT?” 

“What a smart mouth my grandson has. Do YOU...a person who has only just met me, presume to tell ME, the man who controls this whole damned island, what I like and what I DON'T LIKE?!” He took his flattened hand and reared back, slapping Toshi as hard as he could. 

The Don’s freakishly flattened had appeared to widen to the size of a plate and he placed it on the table with purpose. “I’ll SHOW you what I think about this food...” He began running down the length of the table, his flat hand knocking everything off. Food went flying everywhere and the sounds of breaking dishes echoed off the walls.

Toshi hung his head down low, a large lump forming from the fresh slap he’d received. The small knife wound from earlier had reopened and blood began dripping down his cheek, though he said nothing. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. 

The chef clenched his fists to prevent his arms from shaking in anger as he watched the meal that he and the staff had worked so hard on become nothing more than a mess on the floor. He could still see their smiling faces. So hopeful. So certain that this time would be different. They had been so proud of their work, and now it was all ruined. Wasted. As thin as the Don was, he obviously had never known starvation for a single minute in his life. 

Sanji's teeth ground together as he growled out, “Assholes who waste food won't receive any mercy from me. I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I won't let you get away with any of this!” He dashed toward the Don, preparing to attack, “I'll make you lick up every drop that you've spilled!!” Using his anger to propel him, Sanji swiftly leapt into the air and aimed a kick directly at the Don's head. “MOUTON SHOT!!!”

“Is that right?” the old man sneered. With stealth someone his age normally wouldn’t possess, in what seemed like only a split second, he disappeared and reappeared next to the bound Toshi.

Sanji’s foot connected with nothing but air and he sailed haplessly past the spot where the Don had been standing, his eyes widening in surprise at the fact that he had missed his mark rather fantastically.

Toshi gasped. “How did you...?” He’d been watching the two of them intently, but the Don’s movements were so fast he hadn’t seen anything but the flash from when the old man disappeared.

“My dear, dear grandson Toshi.” He took Toshi's chin between his thumb and forefinger and shook his head in a patronizing way. “There's SO MUCH you don't know about me...” 

Meanwhile the chef had quickly recovered and leapt back into action. As Sanji hurled another kick in the Don’s direction, the old man bent and slithered in a fluid motion and just as before, he seemed to completely disappear. He reappeared at the other end of the long dining table.

Toshi’s head shot up, looking the Don's thin form at the other end of the table. “Damn...I didn’t see it that time either…” He swallowed hard. “I'm so...thirsty...”

Sanji growled in frustration at the fact that he seemed completely unable to land a hit on the Don. “For a decrepit old bastard, you sure can move,” he snarled, realizing now that the Don wasn’t just any ordinary decrepit old bastard. He was dealing with a Devil Fruit user and he knew enough not to underestimate them...but at the moment, he knew nothing about this man's ability. He had the disadvantage.

But Sanji was not one to simply give up. He figured if he continued to attack, he could gain more information. Learn the Don's weaknesses, perhaps. Besides that, he was far too angry to quit now. So he charged once again, trying to make his moves a bit less predictable, faking to one side and striking from the other, this time aiming at the old man's shin. “JARRET!!!”

But the Don’s reflexes were just as impeccable as his stealth and speed. Before Sanji’s eyes, the man's entire body flattened from the side as if an invisible vice were pinching him together, before bouncing back to its full form as soon as the boy passed him.

Sanji growled as he skidded to a stop and whirled around to face the Don, who laughed raucously. 

“You've got spunk, son, I'll give you that!!! But you should know better...” He lifted his hands up, pressing his fingers tightly together, flattening and widening them until they almost looked like a pair of cymbals. He leapt toward Sanji in one swift movement, and for a second it looked as though he were floating. Then he opened his arms and crashed Sanji’s head between his freakishly flattened hands.

Not satisfied that Sanji didn’t cry out in pain, the Don kneed him in the stomach while he was momentarily disoriented and then flatted himself again, this time as if the vice were on his chest and back. He began bending backwards as if he were flipping, flexible, like a gymnast.

Sanji, dazed as the pain racked his skull, couldn’t help but take a few steps backward, shaking his head to try and rid himself of the pain as he spat out blood. That old man looked weak, but the blow had hurt more than Sanji would have expected it to. He stumbled on his feet a bit, his ears still ringing, his vision slightly blurred as he zeroed in on the Don once again and dashed toward him. “Like hell I'm gonna lose to some shitty old man!”

The Don appeared to be enjoying himself quite a bit and he laughed again. “Well I'm certainly getting my exercise today! Come on, come at me, boy!!! Prove your strength to me and maybe I'll spare your life...” He grinned and licked his lips as he pulled a knife from inside his fur coat, flicking it open.

“You'd like it here... You know,” the old man continued, you could cook to your heart’s content and then dispose of all the bodies of the men who aren’t worthy to cook for me. I swear, even with all the people I kill, I think some of those chefs grind up the meat and try to feed it back to me...”

Toshi held back a scream. “What kind of monster ARE YOU?”

The Don was suddenly in front of Toshi again. He took the knife and jabbed the point beneath the boy's chin. “Don't talk to me while I'm fighting... The quick version is: once upon a time, your grandpa was a pirate and ate a devil fruit he found...and it gave him enough strength to overpower a family of nobles, rob them blind and then settle here and take over this island... I’m the one and only user of the Flat Flat Fruit, BOY!”

Sanji had skidded to a stop when the Don suddenly disappeared. He'd been directly in front of him a moment ago...he hadn't even seen the old man's movements. “Dammit!” He changed course once more, leaping over the table in the center of the room and spinning in mid-air, his leg outstretched.

The Don was back on the attack within seconds, yanking the knife away from Toshi and causing another cut on his face as Sanji came towards him. For a split second, time seemed to slow down. His entire body flattened and then rippled outward from his chest, but this time he didn’t use his flattened form to ‘disappear.' He bent backward from the waist in one movement, like a person folding a piece of origami paper, and Sanji sailed right over him yet again. 

“HOHOHOHO...you're going to have to step your game up, son.”

Sanji was really getting irritated. He was so tired of hitting nothing but air! "I'm not done yet, you old bastard!" He shot a glare back at the Don, fists clenching at his sides as he continued the assault, trying different methods and attacks, all having the same result as the Don easily countered the attacks with his own. The Don's amusement at his failure surely was not helping matters...

Toshi looked on in horror. So this was the power of a Devil Fruit…he’d never seen it up close, even though he knew that several of the Strawhat pirates possessed these abilities, including Luffy himself.

A pained look crossed his face. He couldn’t let Sanji keep fighting the Don, surely he’d be killed! Toshi found he just wasn’t willing to let Sanji take that risk, not for his sake. “STOP!!!! Please...just stop...”

“Don't like a little violence?” the Don piped up as Sanji hit the floor once again. “Well, you're in for a surprise...” He began striding toward Toshi, knife held out. 

Sanji snarled as he sat up, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead, partially angry that the Don was ignoring him again but mostly desperate to keep the old man from harming Toshi. “DAMMIT I'm the one you're fighting, you old son of a bitch!! Me!! I'm not done with you!!”

“You'll get your turn, son.... You will...” The old man smirked.

“SANJI, RUN! NOW!!!”

The Don froze. “...Sanji??? You mean you know this bastard? WAIT! …you're one of those damned PIRATES!”

Toshi was on the verge of tears again. “JUST GO! PLEASE...”

Sanji shot Toshi a glare, not in the mood for the boy's attempts at heroics. “Just shut up and be rescued quietly! Asking me to run away...hah!” He smirked despite the blood trickling down his forehead and then leveled a dangerous look at the Don. “It's too late for that. There are a few things in this world that I can never forgive. Meaningless wasting of food when others are starving elsewhere is one of them. I may be a pirate, but you're hardly one to criticize, old man. Hell, with the kind of operation you're running here, the marines might even thank us for taking you down.”

Toshi was stunned to silence. So Sanji really intended to rescue him at all costs? He bit his lip again, tasting blood...surely this was more than he deserved…

The Don scoffed at Sanji’s bold declaration. “You think so, eh?” His form disappeared from view as he flattened himself and then reappeared behind Sanji, wrapping a flat arm around his neck and cutting his air supply short. He brought the knife he'd been holding to Sanji's neck. 

“Not so tough now, are you...?” The Don smirked as he pressed the knife harder against the chef's skin. “You, turn me in? That's about as likely as me enjoying any scrap of food made by you, EVER!!! Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing you...nice and slow...I'll gut you like a pig and have my chefs serve you to me with an apple in that BIG MOUTH OF YOURS...”

Sanji gasped for breath, his hands reaching up to claw desperately at the Don's arm around his neck but it was futile...the arm was so thin it was like trying to peel tape, and even as he kicked backward to try and free himself, he could hear the gentle 'swish' as the Don's paper-thin body curled this way and that to avoid the strikes. 

This...was a bad situation...he couldn't draw breath, couldn't break free. He gasped for air, feeling the cold blade of the knife digging into his skin. A warmth began to seep forth, drizzling down his neck. His world was darkening around the edges...his body feeling weaker from lack of oxygen...if he didn't get air soon...

A Loud growl rang out from the doorway and a pair of long rubber arms shot towards the Don, blasting him with a Gomu Gomu Bazooka.

The Don stumbled, planting one foot forward to catch himself before he fell from the sudden impact, dropping Sanji in his shock at being caught off guard. He hadn’t taken a hit during a fight for as long as he could remember and he was furious. The older man held a hand on the small of his back for the barest of seconds before he whipped around to see that the boy in the straw hat whom he’d seen from the balcony was standing there, and with FARFALLE no less.

“LUFFY!!!” Toshi and Sanji both said at the same time, utter relief on their faces. Sanji coughed, gulping in fresh oxygen, a hand rubbing the raw skin on his neck. The Captain had arrived...and not a moment too soon.

Luffy pounded his fist into his palm. “So you’re the mean old bastard who took Toshi away!” 

The Don practically spat his reply. “YOU…” He pointed a stick-thin finger towards the pirate, steam nearly coming out of his ears as the vein on his forehead throbbed and his hand fairly shook with rage. “You won’t be so lucky NEXT TIME.”

The boy ignored the Don momentarily and turned to the red-headed man beside him. “Thanks for showing me the way, Uncle Farfalle! I knew you weren’t really a bad guy!”

“WHAT?” The Don’s rage bubbled over fresh as his eyes narrowed at Farfalle. “You BROUGHT him here? TO WHAT END?”

Farfalle began to tremble and he couldn’t even meet the Don’s eyes any longer. “I...I…it’s because I care for Toshi…”

“Uncle Farfalle…” Toshi’s eyes filled with tears again. “DON’T HURT HIM, PLEASE!”

“What have I TOLD you about speaking to me like that, boy?! ……….” He turned back to Farfalle, “Traitor…you help the pirates that are here to steal my heir? You were BORN into this organization, your loyalty belongs to ME AND ME ALONE. I see now who I’m dealing with…” 

The Don reached into his coat and pulled out his mini den den mushi. “PENNE!” He barked into it. “GET YOUR ASS BACK UP HERE! …We have a traitor to contend with…”


	5. The Cry Heard ‘Round The World

The wayward swordsman of the Strawhat group, after thrusting and parrying his way through a mass of Rigatoni, found himself back at the gate that was the entrance of the Alfredo mansion.

“HAH???” He scratched his head with two free fingers, the other three still gripping a katana. With a shrug, Zoro turned on his heel and easily blazed his way through the never-ending fray.

He grunted, halfway out of boredom, halfway out of frustration. He’d been under the impression that there were some actually STRONG guys here to fight.

Then he saw the man, walking with purpose, swishing his long and gangly arms at his sides, an immense frown stretching over every part of his face. He’d seen him before. Claimed to be Toshi’s uncle. Something told him that wasn’t actually the case anymore.

This man, he remembered, was called Penne and as he walked forward he reached to his right hip, withdrawing a long sword that became thicker at the end, the tip curving slightly upward. The metal of the sword was unique, it looked like it was made in strips, giving it a striped appearance of both shining polished metal contrasting with dull burnished gray metal. 

Penne pointed his sword directly at the pirate from the 10 or so yards away that he now was, his proximity increasing by the second, and the rigatoni parted, leaving the pathway clear for him.

Zoro smirked, such deference could only be shown to someone high up on the ladder. This guy, he was probably one of the Don’s right hand men, given what old man Roshi had told them about them ‘grooming’ Toshi. He would only entrust such a task to someone that he knew would deliver…

“Oi, you bastard, what have you done with Toshi? He still owed me booze!” Zoro yelled around the sword in his mouth.

Penne snorted. “So, you’re that ‘Pirate Hunter’ are you? I’ve seen your wanted poster. I can’t believe you lived after a fight with Hawk-eyes Mihawk of all people, he must have pitied you…not hunting pirates anymore now are we?”

“Shut up,” he growled. “You don’t know anything about me…” His breathing became heavier as his swordsman spirit started flowing from him in waves. 

Penne gave a curt nod. “Have it your way, right to the fun….” He wasted no time as he lifted himself into a fighting pose, holding his sword up above his shoulder, rushing at his opponent.

He leaped into the air, swinging to the right, Zoro didn’t have time to blink as he quickly jerked himself to the left, feeling the cold blade sweep over his cheek, blood seeping up fast from the superficial wound. 

He spun quickly on his heel to block the next blow, metal clashed against metal, over and over. Damn that bastard was fast.

Even with three swords against one, Penne was holding his own. Zoro could barely get a good look at him the way he flitted about. He guessed that being so light on ones' feet could be an asset to a swordsman.

Penne ran at him, sword raised above his head, and he swung it in a hard downward movement. Zoro countered with the blade in his mouth and slammed the other two against the striped blade so that all three were pushing against Penne. 

With a loud scrape, almost like nails on a chalkboard, sparks flew as the swords finally pushed apart.

They both jumped back, surveying each other.

Zoro flexed his shoulders, rolling them forward, his bones cracking at the motions.

Penne spat on the ground. “I have to say, I expected more from you, marimo…”

The santoryuu user’s eye twitched. “WHAT did you say?”

“Marimo. Your head looks similar to one…” Penne scratched his cheek with his left hand while marveling at Zoro’s hair.

“YOU’RE ONE TO TALK!” He pointed a sword at Penne’s shoulder length dark green hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in more than week.

“It’s not the same…” Penne lunged forward while he was distracted, aiming for his abdomen and Zoro parried at the last second, pushing his sword off to the left so that it only scratched his side.

Zoro pulled his arms back, swords facing up and ran at him, slicing nothing but air over and over. 

He then crossed his swords in front of him, blocking another downward assault. “Why…can’t I CUT YOU?!!!” He yelled in frustration as the man flipped backward, having landed another cut on his right shoulder. 

Penne was pleased. “You won’t find another sword like this anywhere on the grand line…I had it specially made to my specifications…” He flipped the handle over his palm. 

Zoro bit down on his white sword, narrowing his eyes. He reached over to his arm, removing the dark green bandanna that was fastened there and tying it around his head instead. He knew something had been missing…

The air around him began to move, almost like a mirage in the desert, as his swords wavered in front of him. He stared at the ground, his swords pointed straight up into the air, then he suddenly looked up. His eyes were like a demon's, flashing red at Penne as he dashed forward, swords slashing against each other as he thrust them outward.

“ONI-GIRI!!”

Penne was caught off guard, thrown upward as the blast hit him. He sailed through the air, landing several yards away from Zoro on top of a few unlucky Rigatoni.

He coughed, wiping the blood from his mouth as he stood up from the pile of unconscious men. Zoro’s spirit had overwhelmed them. “Nice…”

He thrust his right foot forward, then his left, and he sailed across the hard packed earth at the pirate, using both hands to swing his sword like a club. Zoro wrenched his body to the right, but was struck nonetheless, the strange sword slicing so easily through his shirt and skin. 

Blood oozed from all three wounds now. That sword had been so much closer than he originally thought… Zoro narrowed his eyes as Penne chuckled, splaying his fingers across the wide striped blade lovingly. 

With a fighting roar, he ran at the man, but the mobster seemed to disappear just as he was about to strike him. He felt a slight pressure on his back just then; Penne had turned at the last second and used Zoro’s back to flip himself off of and away from danger. 

Then Penne was there on his left, no, now his right...now his left again. He was like a hummingbird, always moving, never still, and Zoro felt the cuts and scrapes on his body start to multiply as the man spun around him. 

He felt his anger growing by the minute. He knew he had to calm down or he’d never be able to win this fight. Ignoring the small sharp pains that were like incessant bee stings, Zoro closed his eyes and concentrated. There was no way his opponent could keep that up forever. He would get tired eventually. 

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. 

Zoro concentrated on his heart-beat and its steady rhythm. He breathed deeply, slowing down the ‘thump-thump’. He became attuned to the movements of his foe, accustomed to the pain he was feeling. His swordsman spirit reached out like a giant invisible hand, following the whooshing sounds that betrayed Penne’s location. 

Zoro thrust out his right arm, hitting Penne squarely in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him. There was a sickening crunch and he cried out in pain, blood pouring from his mouth as he dropped to his knees. The taller man’s eyes bulged and he gingerly felt the place where Zoro’s arm connected, wincing at the slightest touch.

“HEH.” Zoro smirked as he readjusted the sword in his mouth. A burst of energy caused the rocks on the ground around him to start shaking and Penne scrambled to regain his footing.

He stomped both his feet down thrusting his swords outward and upward. Penne starting running towards him, left hand holding the blade steady for a strike.

Zoro jumped as the man was about to hit him spinning in mid air, his swords mimicking his body’s movements. “TATSU-MAKI!!!!!!!!” He yelled as he spun, and he felt the blade finally connect with flesh.

With a smirk, he landed in a crouch, both swords held out at arm’s length. He turned just in time to see Penne hit his back on the ground, having been spun upwards from the force of Zoro’s attack.

Penne got up shakily, a large cut on his forehead and two matching cuts on his arms. The blade had scraped against his abdomen, slicing open his clothing, but the cut was only superficial. The bastard was protecting his ribs. The once perfectly striped suit was now torn, and he ripped the sleeves the rest of the way off, showing the two bloody gashes that Zoro had inflicted upon him. His chest heaved from exertion and he winced with each breath. 

The two men stepped toward each other, getting as close as they dared, each trying to determine when and how the other would strike…

Zoro spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. “You’re not half bad, Stripes…”

Penne stood there, sword still held out defiantly, still panting. A line of blood dripped down his forehead, some getting into his eyes, but he refused to wipe it away. It seemed they were at a stalemate and while he was calculating his next move, the mini den den mushi that the Don required him to carry began yelling in his pocket.

“PENNE!” Came the angry voice of the Don. “GET YOUR ASS BACK UP HERE! ……We have a traitor to contend with…”

Penne sighed heavily and looked Zoro in the eyes. “I’ll deal with YOU later!” He turned on his heel and dashed for the mansion. 

Zoro was flabbergasted. “HUUUUH?” His voice was muffled around the sword in his mouth, his eyes widening. He sheathed the two swords that he held in his hands and scratched his head, frowning at their interrupted fight. He then finally spit the third sword out and took off running after Penne. He lost sight of him when he hit the front door, but that wasn’t going to stop Zoro! He ran in and looked from left to right...

There was a huge winding staircase ahead of him, and halls to his left and his right. He was about to head up the stairs when he noticed the circular shaped opening behind the staircase. It looked like a tunnel and the air that blew from it felt colder.

Zoro shrugged, figuring this was as good a place as any to go searching for his foe. He hiked the handle of the white sword over his shoulder and starting walking down, down, down…

oOo

“After everything I’ve done for you, you chose HIM?!!!” The Don pointed across the room at the bound Toshi. “Who kept you fed and clothed all these years, gave you a PURPOSE? I could’ve just as easily thrown your ass out into the streets…”

Farfalle could only stare at the ground, clasping his hands in front of him.

“Well, I hope you know what you’ve chosen for yourself. Don’t even try to run, you’ll never make it…”

“HEY! YOU ASSHOLE! Don’t talk to him like that!” Luffy piped up, throwing his arm in front of Farfalle as if to protect him from the Don’s harsh words. “He’s a GOOD GUY!”

The Don stared at Luffy with hard eyes as if he were trying to memorize every inch of his face. “You…I’ve seen your ugly mug somewhere before…” He narrowed his eyes as he stepped forward.

“SHISHISHI, OF COURSE! I’M GOING TO BE KING OF THE PIRATES!”

The Don sneered at him. “Well, well, isn’t that sweet, you have a little dream. Well, you just made the biggest mistake of your life coming here. This…is where dreams come to die…” 

But Luffy was ignoring him, instead he had his pinky finger shoved up his nose as he surveyed the mess that coated the ground around the table. “EHHHHHHHHH? WHO WASTED ALL THIS FOOD?!”

“MY PERSONAL HABITS ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!!!! PUT THAT DOWN!” He growled and stomped his foot and it undulated, flattening and springing back up in anger as he watched Luffy bend down and scoop food off the floor, shoveling it into his mouth. “DON’T EAT THAT!” 

“MMM MMM!!!! This is some GOOD STUFF SHISHISHISHI!” He stood up with full cheeks and swallowed it all in one big gulp. 

The Don grabbed a water goblet from the table, hurling it against the wall to his left. It shattered and a silence fell over the room. “…I’ll be the judge of what’s WORTHY to be eaten… I can’t name a single dish that I’ve ever tried and liked!!!”

Luffy shrugged nonchalantly as if he put up with psycho mafia bosses everyday of his life. “So...are you going to give Toshi back or what?”

“YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!!! Toshi is MY HEIR! I OWN him now, he belongs to ME and to this organization and nothing on hell or earth can change that!”

Luffy grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that…SHISHISHISHI…” He began swinging his arm round and round, lengthening it with every swing, a detail that the Don did not miss.

“HAH! Another Devil Fruit user?!” The Don held out his hands, flattening and widening them and he clapped them together several times. “If you think you can hold your own in a fight against me, you’re welcome to try…” He began moving back and forth on the balls of his feet as if he were shadow boxing.

“SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUP!!!" Luffy screamed as he reared back his arm a final time, “GOMU GOMU NO, PISTOL!!!!!!!!” His arm shot out at the Don, who readily flattened and dodged it, leaping toward Luffy with his cymbal-shaped hands.

“SHISHISHISHI YOU’RE A FUNNY OLD MAN!!!” Luffy swiped at him, barely dodging the cymbals as they grappled for his head.

“FREAK!” The Don screamed. “I’ve never seen such a weird power before!

“SHISHISHI YOU’RE ONE TO TALK! GOMU GOMU NOOOO GATLING!!!!!!!” His fists of fury pummeled the air but the Don was faster, slinking under the table.

Luffy jumped up on the table, flipping forward. “GOMU GOMU NO FUUUUUUUUUUSEN!” He leaped at the Don, who flattened himself against the wall and Luffy, having gathered more speed than he intended, bounced right off of him. He ricocheted off the walls and rolled right through the open door.

Farfalle was nearly flattened, but managed to back away from the door without a second to spare, only to run into Penne’s chest. “PENNE!” He held his hands up in a submissive pose.

The Don roared with anger.and flattened himself again, flipping after the rubber man. He paused only for a moment next to Penne’s ear and whispered, “Kill him.”

Penne grit his teeth. Somehow, he'd known that it would come to this one day. Farfalle had always been weak and soft, not much of a fighter, more of a people person. Farfalle had been the one training Toshi most of the time, Penne acting more like a body guard or sparring partner. Penne knew good and well that it was Farfalle Toshi was closest to, that last bit of Fiori that lived in the world, but he just couldn’t bring himself to care about the boy like he knew he should.

He’d always been gunning for the position that Toshi was about to take. His entire life he’d wanted it, just as he’d wanted her… She was a vision, but not only that, she was kind in a way that no one had ever been to him. He’d loved her, but she’d chosen that wretched Roshi. 

Penne’s face contorted with the pent up jealousy and sorrow he’d been holding in for most of his adult life. He gripped the handle of his striped sword; there was one chance left to prove himself, to scrape together whatever dignity he had left. And if this is what it took…then so be it. 

“I’m a man of duty ...” He uttered as he unsheathed his sword slowly and deliberately.

Farfalle’s eyes widened in fear and he stepped back, only to hit the door jamb. He was trapped, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide...

Meanwhile, the weakened Sanji had finally picked himself up off of floor, still rubbing at his throat which was now marred with a wide bruise from where the Don had nearly choked him to death. He shook his head and pulled a cigarette out, fingers trembling slightly as he lit it quickly. His eyes met Toshi's, noting that the boy was still tied to the chair. This was his chance, while the Don was distracted. He needed to free the old man's coveted 'heir.' 

Sanji made his way over to Toshi, concealing the limp as best he could, and bent to untie the ropes that bound the boy. “You should probably get out of here," he advised, his voice still quite hoarse. "How’re you holding up?”

Toshi’s eyes widened and once freed, he immediately grabbed a flask out of his jacket pocket and downed the entire thing in three gulps. “I…was so thirsty, I…” The movement at the door on the other end of the room caught his eye and he could only stare for a second, stunned at what he was witnessing.

“What is it?” Sanji’s eyes followed Toshi’s gaze.

Just for the barest second, Penne hesitated, a mask of pain and guilt crossing his face...and then vanishing just as quickly. “Goodbye…old friend…”

“NO!!!!!!!” Toshi yelled, bolting from his spot, arm outstretched as he ran for his uncles.

With a deliberate and swift strike, the blade pierced Farfalle’s chest. They all heard the sickening wet sound of organs being punctured. Dark blood began oozing from his mouth and chest. 

“UNCLE FARFAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLEEE!!!!!!!!!” Toshi’s cry reverberated off of every wall, the chandelier hanging from the ceiling shaking from the intensity. 

Toshi made it to the door, but he was too late. He threw himself over Farfalle, whose eyes were glossing over as the life drained from his body.

Toshi grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly and holding it to his chest. “Uncle Farfalle…it’s me…Toshi…” 

“Toshi…” Farfalle’s hand tried to squeeze back, but he was so weak. “Toshi,” he whispered.

“I’m here…I’m here…” Toshi said, the tears spilling over for what seemed like the thousand time that day. 

“I’m so…proud of you...” Farfalle choked out, a fresh gush of blood accompanying the rasping words. “You…made my life…worth living…”

“No, please! Don’t...don’t talk like that…” Toshi sobbed as his Uncle’s blood soaked him and he gripped the dying man’s hand tighter. “Stay…stay…”

Farfalle gazed up, his eyes wavering with the effort to focus. “Be free, Toshi…” He whispered as a shudder ran through his body. His hand went slack, his eyes freezing in place.

He was gone.

Toshi shook the hand that he was still gripping. “Uncle Farfalle! WAKE UP! WAKE UP UNCLE FARFALLE! THERE’S STILL SO MUCH TO DO!” His voice cracked as it increased an octave.

Toshi felt a hand palm his shoulder and he whipped around to see Penne, stoic and cold as ever.

“YOU…” Toshi’s eye twitched as he jumped up in rage. “How could you do this?! HE WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND! YOU GREW UP TOGETHER!" Toshi yelled louder and louder, getting as close to Penne as he could. "YOU WERE MY UNCLES!!!!! And you killed him…just like that. YOU KILLED HIM JUST LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!” 

Penne just stood there, sword hanging limply at his side, Farfalle’s blood still dripping off of it. 

Toshi stared at him coldly for what seemed like the longest time.

Finally, Penne spoke. “I had to.”

Toshi scoffed. “You had to? YOU HAD TO?! NO! You HAVE to eat, you HAVE to sleep, you don’t HAVE TO MURDER YOUR FRIEND IN COLD BLOOD!” His hand reached inside the large cargo pocket of his shorts pulling out a wooden nunchaku. “I’ll NEVER forgive you for this, you bastard!” 

Toshi gripped one end of the nunchaku, whirling it in a figure eight in front of him. This was the weapon that Farfalle had chosen for him. When Toshi had reached the age of 10, the Don had instructed the ‘uncles’ to start training Toshi in some kind of physical combat. Farfalle had spent a long time watching Toshi, and, impressed with how good he was at manipulating things with his hands, he thought the nunchaku would be the perfect fit. And he was right. Toshi excelled at the use of the combo offensive and defensive weapon just as he did at flair bartending. 

Toshi was trying to keep his cool, he really was, but the fresh loss that spiraled through every part of his being unleashed the adrenaline within and he was soon consumed with bloodlust. 

Flipping the weapon behind his back, twirling it over his fingers, side to side, he put on quite an impressive display, but this was only to let off steam it seemed, and Penne wondered if Toshi would have the guts to go through with fighting him. 

Toshi flipped the weapon from hand to hand then pulled it back down to grip the tops of the wooden handles in his right hand. He narrowed his eyes, leaning forward, then all at once with an, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!!!!!” he threw himself on top of Penne and began beating him mercilessly, aiming for his face with the blunt ends of his weapon. 

There was a loud crunch as Toshi broke Penne’s nose, and a geyser of blood shot up and coated his face. 

Penne yelled out in agony but kicked Toshi off of him, holding his left hand over his nose.

Toshi was thrown back, but jumped up as quickly as he could. He wasn’t used to fighting for great lengths of time, he never thought he would have to. Nunchaku had been like a hobby for him, something he did for fun, like playing harmonica or whittling with his pocket knife. He wiped some of Penne’s blood from his face on the sleeve of his shirt, then quickly grabbed a flask and downed it, chucking the metal container behind him after he was done. 

Toshi licked his lips. It looked like that training and sparring with Uncle Penne in years past was about to come in handy after all…

Penne snarled as the blood flowed down his face, getting into his mouth, running down onto the collar of his once perfectly pressed suit. 

“You know, Toshi,” he said, “I never liked you. Despite the fact that you’re Fiori’s child, you’re also HIS child.”

Toshi narrowed his eyes. “You leave my Pops out of this! At least HE’S no liar!”

Penne snorted in derision. “Well if he cares about you so much, why did he never tell you about YOUR SISTER, or THE CONTRACT?” 

Toshi bit his lip, averting his eyes for a split second.

“Just as I thought…” Penne spat and reached up to his nose. He held one nostril down and blew, shooting out the blood that had just begun to clot. He wiped his hands on his striped suit pants and whipped his sword to the right, slinging off Farfalle’s blood as he brought it forward.

“I can’t kill you, but I can pay you back for what you did…” He growled and lunged for the boy.

Toshi gripped his nunchaku with both hands and thrust it forward, blocking the sword with the chain that held the handles together. He locked the chain around the blade and pulled, but Penne was too fast for him. The chain slipped and Toshi went falling backwards, landing on his rear.

Penne walked forward deliberately, almost haltingly in his footsteps. He winced and clutched at his side for the barest of seconds, then stabbed his sword into the floor right next to Toshi’s head. He leaned down over the boy. “You’re fighting a fight you can’t win,” he sneered, looking even more sinister with his broken nose and blood-splattered face. 

Toshi spit at him and jumped up, whipping his nunchaku against Penne’s side. 

He grit his teeth as the nunchaku beat against his broken ribs, a detail that Toshi did not miss.

“DAMN YOU! WE’RE DONE PLAYING HERE!” Penne yanked his sword from the floorboards and began backing Toshi against the wall, his stride betraying a slight limp.

Toshi whirled his nunchaku in front of him to keep Penne at a distance, but Penne lifted his sword into the nunchaku’s path, tearing it from Toshi’s grasp when the chain was caught on the blade. He flung the weapon to the side and brought the tip of his sword directly below Toshi’s chin. 

“BASTARD!” They heard a yell from somewhere behind them and Sanji appeared in the next instant, renewed vigor evident as he sailed through the air, a deadly kick aimed at the Penne’s neck. "COLLIER SHOOT!!!"

It was just enough to distract Penne from Toshi, who reared back his fist and punched him in the ribs, with everything he had left at the exact moment that Sanji’s kick connected. 

Penne’s face was a mask of pain and he wobbled on his feet only for a few moments before tumbling over onto his side, clutching at his heaving torso. He whimpered as the pain increased, his ribs had bent back inside of him, scraping his organs. 

But far worse than any physical pain, Penne was wracked with the guilt that he knew would plague him for the rest of his life. The gravity of what he’d done to his best friend was sinking in. Hot tears slipped down his cheeks and he painstakingly reached his hands to cover his face, trying to salvage what little dignity he had left, but a sob wracked his frame and he cried out from the intense agony it caused. 

Farfalle was dead.

Toshi collapsed to the ground then, fresh pain searing through his chest as the adrenaline left his blood and the cold reality of the situation sent shocks of ice through his veins. He crawled across the floor on his hands and knees through food, blood, and broken glass, back to the body of his dead Uncle. He put a hand over Farfalle's forehead, using his index and middle fingers to close the man’s eyes. 

Toshi sighed heavily. Even though they weren’t bound by blood, Farfalle had been very dear to him. Toshi’s father had isolated him from most everything but the world of the bar, and his Uncles had been his only link beyond that. People he could actually talk to. Penne’s betrayal was more horrible than the boy could ever have imagined.

Tears began to pour down his face as he remembered that time long ago when they’d first met. 

He’d been so young then. Farfalle was younger too of course, but even in death he looked almost the same as he did back then. The cheerful round face and shock of bright orange hair that was always so unkempt. He had leaned down and held his hand out to the young Toshi, but Toshi remembered grabbing his giant red bowtie instead. 

Farfalle had laughed with delight while Penne rolled his eyes. Toshi had no earthly clue where they’d come from, or why they showed up so suddenly that day, but nearly every day after that they were a staple in his life. 

Especially Farfalle. 

He'd filled a gap that no one else could, understood things no one else did. He was always there with a kind word whenever Toshi had a bad day, and they laughed until their stomachs could take no more on the good days. 

And now, the same gap his Uncle had filled had been ripped wide open. Toshi knew he’d never be the same. He also knew, just as surely, that his life was better for having known him.

Toshi leaned down and tenderly embraced Farfalle’s lifeless body, wishing harder than anything that he was still here. His last words echoed through Toshi’s mind again and again and Toshi knew now that he could never stay here, never let the Don take him.

“Luffy…” He whispered, looking over into the hallway beyond where the rubber man and his Grandfather had gone rolling and flipping through to continue their fight. 

Sanji kicked Penne in the ribs once more for good measure and the man groaned. “And STAY DOWN.” The cook scowled around his dwindling cigarette before turning away from the fallen swordsman. He quietly approached Toshi, aware of the young man's grief, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry…”

Toshi wiped his eyes on his clean sleeve and stood, his geta sandals clopping against the floor. “What do we do now? He has to be stopped…”

Sanji nodded, not a single flicker of doubt in his eyes. “He will be. Luffy will stop him. You just need to believe in him.” 

Toshi picked up his nunchaku from the mess on the floor, tucking it carefully back into the large pocket of his shorts. “…I…do believe in him…” 

Sanji gave a small smile. “That's the spirit… Now come on, we need to get you the hell out of here!”


	6. Best Kept Secret

Roronoa Zoro almost thought this section of the mansion would make a good place to take a nap. He considered curling up inside the cool stone hallway until he noticed all the green moss and lichens growing on the walls. The further down he went, the more he realized that this place looked oddly familiar…

The hallway widened, leading him to rooms upon rooms that were flush against each other. They were all open, the only walls were present in rows of metal bars that each had a large door with a large lock that…oh. 

This was a dungeon. 

The marimo scratched the back of his head, palming his swords with his right hand, a habit he’d gotten into as they usually shuffled around a lot when he walked or ran. How the hell had he ended up here again? Wasn’t he looking for the striped bastard? 

“Hmm…” His footsteps reverberated off the walls in the empty cells as he walked further down. The mansion above had been enormous, so just how big was its dungeon?

Zoro began to think that it was stupid for them to have such a large dungeon if they didn’t have a single prisoner. He was about to turn around and head back when he heard a loud snuffling noise, as if someone were clearing his throat. Cautiously he stepped forward, trying to make himself soundless though it was obviously too late for that. 

“Oi...” A hoarse voice whispered from up ahead. 

Zoro stepped into the beam of light that shone from a single barred window up ahead and was greeted with the sight of a large mound. He quirked an eyebrow, not exactly sure what he was looking at.

Then the mound moved. As it turned, Zoro saw the enormous haggard face of an equally enormous man. 

“So…” Came the deep rumble of the man's voice once more. “They sent me a new one, eh? That’s okay, the daily beatings never get old after all these years. Why should it be any different? ...Though I noticed you’re not wearing a suit. Did the old man finally decide to kill me?”

“HAH?” Zoro was thoroughly confused as he studied the mountain of a man, but wait…the skin and eyes were yellow, sallow things, and he noticed several fresh wounds on the man’s face. His yellow hair hung like wet string around his gaunt face, cheekbones sagging from want of food. 

“Ah no, never mind, he’d probably kill me in public if he were to kill me…” The man’s eyes bored into Zoro’s as if trying to read him. “Why are you here…?”

The swordsman scratched the back of his head. “I’m...lo…” The word died on his lips as he turned his head and rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I DON’T KNOW, OKAY?!”

The man in the cell coughed, holding his massive fist curled tightly in front of his mouth, and his lips turned up ever so slightly. “Took a detour, did you? You must be new. Welcome to the dungeon.”

Zoro stared at the man awhile longer before shrugging at him, “I was looking for that green stripy bastard…” He stared ahead at the man behind bars, then spoke up again. “You look strong, what’s a guy like you doing down here anyway? You kill somebody?”

The blond man snorted. “Don’t you know? I’m this island’s best kept secret. Guess you really are a rookie.”

“I don’t have ANYTHING to do with those bastards! I’m here to rescue my friend, Koshi Toshi.”

The man’s eyes widened as he sucked in a breath. “Has it been twenty years already? I had no idea… I stopped counting after about ten, I guess…” The massive hand gestured to the walls behind him that were covered in white score marks.

Zoro’s eyes widened as he took in the amount of time this man must’ve been in prison.

The prisoner continued, “Why…I’ve been here since I was a boy. I can barely remember what the sky looks like…” He heaved a sigh and seemed to forget Zoro was there for a moment as he stared at up the barred window that was so high above him it let in barely any light. He turned back to look at the swordsman, his voice filled with warning. “You need to run, get out of here as fast as you can, and never come back to this place. The Don has been counting down the days until Toshi arrives, if you try to take him back, you will die. He only keeps me alive to gloat about his victory to someone who truly suffered from it.”

Zoro felt confusion creeping in as he listened to the hoarse voice of the prisoner and his brow furrowed. “Who are you?”

The man’s eyes seemed to get even older as he sat down heavily on the dark smooth stones. “Sometimes, I’m not even sure anymore. Who I once was, who I never had the chance to be…but you can call me Rotini.”

There was a loud clinking sound that reverberated through the mostly empty dungeon as Zoro began to unsheathe all of his swords. “Come on Rotini, I’m getting you out of here.”

oOo

"LUFFY!!!" Nami had held her hand out in vain, the other gripping her clima tact tightly when their Captain took off at full speed in the direction of the mansion. It wasn't that she doubted her own fighting skills...she'd just had a major victory in Alasbasta against a fruit user after all, and that had felt incredible. 

...Okay, maybe it was that she felt a little nervous, but her anxiety didn't quite manifest itself the way Usopp's did. His legs were quivering ever so slightly as he put up his Mister Tough Guy front and the corners of Nami's lips turned up only to immediately turn down again as another wave of black clad men and women emerged from the mansion like blood flowing out of a gaping wound. 

The navigator steeled herself, whipping her clima tact in a circular motion before separating the three segments, holding two in one hand and one in the other. She spun the solitary segment, sending a myriad of blue bubbles bobbing into the air around them...

Meanwhile Usopp stepped swiftly behind her so that the two were standing back to back, poised and ready with his Ginga Pachinko as he quickly surveyed their surroundings. There were so many of these suit-wearing foes and to him they all just looked the same, save for a handful that he assumed to be their superiors. He gulped, bracing himself for combat as a stream of them headed for himself and Nami. He quickly loaded his slingshot with explosive ammunition and without hesitation he sent it flying into the rapidly-approaching crowd. 

"KAYAKU BOSHI!!!!"

As expected, the pellet exploded in the center of the crowd of footmen, sending several of them flying backward, toppling over like bowling pins. He grinned. "That's right!! Run away in fear of the Mighty Usopp-sama!!" He cackled to himself until the smoke began to clear and it became apparent that not all of the soldiers had been affected, as evidenced by their increasing proximity. Some of them drew weapons, scowling in Usopp's direction. 

Uh oh. They weren't happy.

Usopp 's breath hitched. "NAMI!! DO SOMETHING!!"

Nami balked. "EHHHHH IT DIDN'T WORK?!" Her knees knocked together once as she quickly begin sending red bubbles out from one of the other segments of her clima tact, spinning the metal bar between her fingers as fast as she could. 

The Rigatoni were close now, close enough to see their sinister smiles and hear their snickers. These assholes were used to winning. She just needed to buy a little more time. She raised her hands in the air, flipping both cool and heat ball segments a few more times, pleased when she saw the bubbles they produced begin to combine in the air. She then pulled all three of the segments of the clima tact together to form a staff, steeling her stance and grinding her heels into the ground as she whipped it over her head and began pummeling anyone who came too close. 

"USOPP!" She hissed as she narrowly missed the attack of a bladed man, the metal scraping long ways against her staff. "Give me some cover for a minute!" 

"I-I-I'M TRYING!!" Usopp stammered in response, his nerves making it difficult to focus as more men swarmed around them. He shrieked in terror as he narrowly avoided having his head chopped clean off his shoulders, and then before he could think about it, he was sending a hard kick to the man's most sensitive area. "USOPP NUT-CRACKER!!!"

The man immediately crumpled to the ground, moaning in pain and twitching while growling expletives. Usopp had an opening just then and he quickly reached into his bag of ammunition, loading several pellets into the slingshot and quickly firing them in multiple directions. 

"KEMURI BOSHI!!!" Smoke exploded from the targets he'd hit, creating a cloud of confusion among the enemies and giving Nami the cover she needed to complete her own attack.

When the smoke cleared, Nami could no longer be seen beside Usopp. Instead she was standing several dozen feet away, directly in front of a tall man who was holding a pointed dagger in each hand. She planted her staff hard into the ground and giggled, bending over slightly while putting the pinky of her free hand next to her lips, smiling at the man whose face morphed into a dopey grin. 

A female Rigatoni noticed this and yelled, jumping into the air and lifting the long thin sword she carried, slicing straight down…and right THROUGH Nami.

A bewildered look crossed the woman’s face as Nami’s form dissipated, first wavering and then rising like smoke into the air. Taking advantage of their astonishment, the real Nami appeared, having had plenty of time to sneak up on the distracted man she jabbed the end of her clima tact into his solar plexus, sending him sprawling over onto the ground where she dug the heel of her sandal into the back of his head.

She yanked off the top piece of her clima tact and blocked the next sword swipe from the recovered Rigatoni, pushing back with all her might, grimacing as she noticed the long slice now present in her beloved weapon. She stomped on the man’s head once more before sending a spinning kick at the woman, causing her to slide several feet into the dust. 

With a loud 'clink,' she attached the pieces of her weapon again and looked skyward where a large dark cloud had form, a gleam forming in her eyes…

A loud rumble reverberated across the large open space of the mansion’s courtyard as the corners of Nami’s lips turned up. There was a flash of light from above and perplexed looks crossed the faces of many of the Rigatoni and they all looked up toward the clouds. Nami let out a small, satisfied chuckle.

One man scratched his head as he stared at the thundercloud that had formed, jumping slightly again as a wave of light flashed across the sky. Nami lifted her weapon higher, pointing it directly in the air towards the cloud. She paused for only a few more seconds before she yelled, ”THUNDERBOLT TEMPO!!!” letting lose a rain of lightning bolts that fried anyone caught in their path without discretion.

The sound of sizzling filled the air as the Rigatoni who had been unfortunate enough to go against Nami dropped like flies. She flipped the staff through the air a few more times before separating the pieces and tucking them casually back into the strap at her thigh. 

Now, where was Usopp?

"Ugh," came the broken grunt from somewhere behind the navigator. Nami whirled around and was met by the sight of the sniper, looking rather well-done and smoking as he twitched on the ground. "Still...still working on your aim, I see..."

Nami cringed and rubbed the back of her head. “Ack! Sorry…” She bent down to help Usopp up off the ground, dusting off his shoulders gingerly. She was about to continue when she noticed him looking over her shoulder. He grabbed on to his goggles that were securely fastened over his eyes and leaned forward with an inquisitive look.

“What is it?” She asked.

Rather than answering her, Usopp squinted and stepped forward. Near the mansion stood a small man, short and almost wider than he was tall. He was wearing a bright yellow suit, so shiny it looked golden. His hair was completely white and sat atop his head like myriad of miniature dreadlocks. The man was holding out a mini den den mushi and speaking into it frantically. He looked to the left and to the right, panic evident in his eyes, and he even held the den den mushi away from him at one point as if the person on the other end were yelling. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a large ornate key, looked at it for a long moment then turned on his heel, rushing around the corner of the mansion quickly. 

The Sniper promptly relayed what he’d seen to Nami. “Someone’s up to no good,” he added as she frowned.

“We’d better follow him in that case," she said. "That key might be for something important. Like…the Don’s safe!” Her eyes morphed into beli signs, visions of riches clouding her judgment.

“Oi!” Usopp whacked her lightly on the arm. “We’re here for Toshi, remember!”

“Of course, but I wouldn’t be averse to getting some treasure out of the deal as well!”

Usopp cast a withering gaze upon her. “So greedy.”

Nami huffed and put a hand on her hip. “WE’RE PIRATES!” 

“FINE!” He grabbed her forearm and started running towards the mansion. “Hurry up before we lose him!”

oOo

Further out in the courtyard, the archaeologist and the doctor were holding their own against a group of Rigatoni that had descended upon them. The pair had found an area of the courtyard that contained a circle of white statues of ballet dancers in ridiculous poses. They all had over exaggerated features, tiny eyes, large ears and noses, gigantic feet daintily tied up in toe shoes and laced up the calf. At the very center of the circle was a gray stone water fountain, three tiers with water spilling over them and perched at the top a very arrogant looking, very thin man. They could only guess at who he was, although Robin had a bit of a clue.

Robin stood back to back with Chopper, her arms crossed elegantly in front of her as they stood in front of the fountain at the edge of the circle nearest the mansion. The statues were partially obstructing her view, but they were also slowing the Rigatoni down as they had to go around them to get to the pirates. She grew a set of eyes on the statue in the center, using her new view to pick out targets before they got near enough to touch them. She grew arms on the backs of as many of the Rigatoni as she could handle, clutching them into unconsciousness. She’d noticed that several of the Rigatoni had guns, though most seemed to choose swords as their weapons. She swiftly grew arms on top of their own arms, grabbing the guns and throwing them as far as she could.

A small smile formed upon her face and she chuckled as she finished another set of clutches, pausing momentarily to glance over at the doctor who was more than holding his own against their foes. 

"HEAVY POINT!" Came the reindeer's small voice in a gruff tone as he shifted to his muscular form before the eyes of the Rigatoni who had surrounded him.

"Hey! What's that raccoon doing?!" One of them sputtered to his comrade, who simply shook his head.

"Who cares? Let's get him!!"

"OI!" Chopper growled out in annoyance as the Rigatoni rushed for him. He reared back a massive fist and swung forward, bowling over several of the black-clad mobsters, who then knocked over their comrades running up behind them. Swords clattered across the cobblestone path, which were then picked up by several of the arms Robin had just sprouted.

The archeologist giggled, and Chopper had to admit that they certainly did make a good team. He happened to glance up at the exact moment that a familiar head of blond hair came bobbing out of one of the side doors...followed by the curly-haired young man of the hour himself. 

A bright smile lit up the reindeer's features as he cried out, "Sanji!! Toshi!!" Though while he was distracted, several of the Rigatoni had leapt to their feet and resumed their assault. "Gah! GUARD POINT!" Chopper immediately popped into his defensive form, becoming an overgrown fur ball as the Rigatoni's weapons failed to harm him. 

"What the hell?! Damn, this is annoying!" One of them panted in exertion as he hacked away, accomplishing nothing but sending tufts of fur flying into their faces.

Nearby, Robin smirked as she sprouted a pair of legs underneath the doctor, giving him the shove he needed to become a giant bowling ball that the remaining Rigatoni could not avoid, and amidst a chorus of screams they were all promptly flattened beneath the oversized round reindeer.

"Thanks, Robin!!" Chopper called out, his voice fading as he continued to roll down the path toward Sanji and Toshi. "OI!! SANJIIIII!!"

The cook's eyes snapped up, fixating immediately on the gigantic brown ball that was bouncing toward them at high speed. "What the hell!?" He was about to shove Toshi out of the way when he realized at the last second that the ball was screaming for him. He stuck a leg out in front of him, catching Chopper's round form with his foot and finally the rolling reindeer came to a stop.

Chopper quickly reverted back to his original form, looking rather dizzy as he teetered a bit on his feet, but nonetheless overjoyed. "Sanji! You did it! Where's Luffy?"

Sanji nodded toward the building. "He's got some business with the Don right now..." He sounded rather bitter about it, which Chopper found a bit odd but the tone of the chef's voice told him he'd better not ask about it. "Anyway, we really need to get Toshi out of here," Sanji continued, glancing just behind him to where the young man in question was standing. He'd been rather quiet while Sanji had been leading them back outside, although that was understandable what with everything he'd been through that day. It was an awful lot to process, and the chef couldn't really imagine what Toshi must be feeling after having watched his beloved Uncle die at the hands of someone he'd always thought he could trust.

Toshi’s gaze flickered to Chopper, eyes widening at how quickly he changed from huge and round back to small and fuzzy, but the shock was only momentary as cold hard reality set in again. Toshi shook his head, overhearing Sanji’s conversation with the doctor. “How can I go when my Uncle is dead and Luffy’s risking his life for me...?” Pain crossed over his face like a mask and he stepped forward, meeting Sanji’s eyes. “There’s got to be something else we can do…I can’t let you all do this while I run off with my tail between my legs…” Toshi looked chagrined; clenching his fists over and over, arms rigid at his sides. His eyes were glazed over with barely held back tears, he’d already cried enough today.

Sanji looked near as grim as Toshi at the boy’s words and wondered if he felt like talking about it at all. In any case he’d let Toshi decide whether he wanted to tell Chopper or not.

Chopper looked on in confusion and opened his mouth to ask what was going on when they were interrupted by a young woman striding towards them. 

She was wearing a blue-black pair of trousers and jacket with long coattails. There were circular patterns adorning her clothes and she wore a flat hat with a wide brim, her long hair tied up in an ornate bun on the back of her head. Two palm-sized metal items dangled from the wide belt that completed her militaristic looking suit.

Her eyes flashed as she stormed up to the trio, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she cast her gaze upon Chopper. “Ew! No animals allowed here unless they’re dead and gutted for the Don’s pleasure!” She stared at Chopper as if he were a thing to be abhorred and the little reindeer looked terrified as he jumped and grabbed one of Sanji’s legs, hiding behind it the wrong way.

The girl sniffed with disdain as she turned to Toshi. “YOU.” She pointed a long painted fingernail at him. “What kind of heir runs away from his family first day on the job!!! The Don will be SO displeased if you get away, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to come back, PRETTY PLEASE? She jutted her lips out in a pout and leaned forward slightly pushing her chest together with her arms.

Toshi stared at her as if she’d grown another head. He’d never seen this person before in his life yet they seemed to know all about him. What was she doing posing like that? It was just so...WEIRD. Toshi quirked an eyebrow, his right hand instinctively starting to reach for the nunchaku in his pocket when he noticed something strange going on with Sanji. Pink hearts were starting to fill the air surrounding them for some reason...

Sanji wavered on his feet, prompting Chopper to take a few steps backward. "Ah, such a divine beauty has appeared before my very eyes!" His hands clasped together and he took several steps forward, grinning pleasantly at the young lady. "Who might you be, Miss? Whatever it is I can do to please you, just name it!"

The girl turned her nose up at Sanji. "I was talking to Don Toshi, not YOU!” She looked back at Toshi whose face had contorted in anger at her words. “I’m Rotelle by the way, one of your loyal Capo, Don Toshi.” She smiled sweetly at him again. “You’re a breath of fresh air compared to Don Fettuccine…” She giggled behind her hand while openly admiring Toshi.

Toshi’s eye twitched as his teeth ground together. “Don’t you EVER call me that! Like hell I’m going to be your Don! I don’t want this! They brought me here by FORCE.” He pulled his nunchaku from his pocket in one swift movement, grabbing one handle in each hand, chain taut, holding it at arm’s length in a defensive position. 

“Oh dear,” Rotelle began, “I was afraid something like this was going to happen!” Her voice was casual but a look of real panic crossed her features as she considered what her big sister would say or DO if she let Toshi get away. Obviously coyness and flattery was getting her nowhere with the new Don.

She smirked then, turning back to Sanji. “Oh, excuse me Mister, I’m so sorry I was rude earlier. Maybe you can help me convince Don Toshi to come back to the mansion? We’re throwing him a birthday party and it’s going to be super fuuuuun you know! In fact, you could stay and join us if you want...” She batted her eyes and touched her pinky finger to her lower lip, tilting her head at the chef.

The noise that came out of the chef's mouth just then was decidedly not human. "OHHH!!" His mind sped through various images that perhaps nobody really needed to know about, as indicated by his eyes rolling up into his head and what almost looked like steam coming from his nostrils. A party...with this wonderful woman and probably all of her equally wonderful friends...it certainly was tempting!

"Sanji!!" Chopper was shaking his leg, desperately trying to break the cook from his reverie. "Sanji, snap out of it! Oi!!"

"Not now, Chopper," Sanji practically sang out in a silly voice, still in his ridiculous fantasy land. But even he knew better than to be completely taken off track in the middle of a fight... He sighed longingly. "Oh, Miss Rotelle, it pains me to admit that I cannot grant your request...although perhaps I might be able to convince you to come along with us instead? You have the look of a sweet young woman! I'm sure you don't really want to work here!" He gave her a hopeful, yet decidedly lecherous grin as Chopper violently shook his head in the background.

Toshi couldn’t believe what he was hearing and seeing, this weird woman was so obviously their enemy!!! What the hell was going on in that mind of his right now?! He had thought Sanji was cool and manly, but seeing the look on his face now…

"Sanji!” The boy admonished. “You can’t be serious! She works for my grandpa!” Toshi shook his head and turned back to Rotelle. “I’m not going anywhere with you, not now, not ever. My Uncle is dead because of this shit, one of the only people who ever cared about me. I don’t want anything to do with you, or your precious Don Fettuccine,” he sneered sarcastically as he begin whipping his nunchaku in a figure eight. 

Rotelle sighed. Well, there was only one way to avoid her big sister’s wrath now...she’d just have to fight. Pity! She’d just had this outfit cleaned. “If you’re so keen on having a fight, Don Toshi, I guess it would be good training!” The girl giggled and reached for the circular metal weapons that were attached to her belt and unhooked them. They were perfectly round, like a strange set of brass knuckles, two handholds in the center of each one, the outsides sharpened like blades.

Sanji was appalled, snapping out of his lustful daze. "Oi! Toshi, she's a woman! We can't just beat her up like a couple of barbarians! Remember your real enemy! She isn't the one you want to pick a fight with!"

Toshi stared hard at Rotelle, his gaze never wavering as he answered Sanji. “What the hell does that matter?! She’s in my way and I’ll take her down if that’s what I have to do. These bastards deserve every hit I give them for what they’ve done. This place is despicable...” Toshi growled low in his throat, steeling his stance. 

Rotelle giggled again with a glance at Sanji. “Oh, not to worry.” She patted her coat pocket. “A friend of mine has been listening in on our conversation, there’s no way we’re letting ANY of you off scot free! Looks like there’ll be some executions to go along with your birthday party tonight Don Toshi!”

Toshi glared back. “Great, why don’t we start with YOURS…”

oOo

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Monkey D. Luffy found himself rolling head over heels, heels over head, down the massive hallway of the Alfredo Family mansion. “EH?” He hit a bump that sent him tumbling down a flight of winding stairs, gaining more and more momentum until he reached the bottom and then he just kept on rolling until he barreled into a large set of heavy wooden double doors. The doors burst open into an enormous room with tall ceilings. The ceilings were adorned with several dozen glass chandeliers many times more magnificent than the one in the Don’s dining room had been. 

Luffy deflated and stood up scratching the back of his head as he examined his new surroundings. The middle of the room was empty, a large square carved out towards the back with a smooth wooden floor. The rest of the room was full of large round tables, each covered with a white table cloth and set with plates, bowls, glasses, napkins and silverware. There was a long empty table beyond the open space and then a raised platform with musical instruments above the table.

Luffy cocked his head to one side as the Don’s slim, papery form flipped into the room, seething with anger. “You barge into my room, EAT MY FOOD AND--”

“Hey old man, are you having a party?” Luffy grinned at the Don whose face only continued to turn redder and redder.

An anger vein protruded from The Don’s forehead. “If you MUST KNOW, this room is set up for Toshi’s ‘birthday party.'” He sneered the last two words sarcastically as he brushed off each of his shoulders, one of his eyes twitching.

“Hmm…” Luffy cast a critical eye around the place again, holding his chin to his hand. “IT’S BORING!” He announced as he turned his body to face the Don. “We were going to throw him a REAL party at The Jade Bangle with cake and drinks and his POPS and everything! You’re a mean old asshole and I don’t like you!” Luffy grinned as he made this announcement. “SHISHISHI!”

The Don’s mouth dropped open. Who the hell did this tactless bastard think he was?!  
“You won’t tell ME what’s appropriate for MY grandson and MY heir! If you think I’ve never taken out a bunch of low life pirates, you’re very naïve to the ways of this island, boy. You have no idea…WIPE THAT SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!” The very existence of this young man in the straw hat made the Don increasingly enraged. 

Luffy only continued to grin as he spread his legs and grabbed onto his bicep. “Well GUESS WHAT! Toshi doesn’t want to be your heir! It’s not something he decided! HE SHOULD BE FREE TO CHOOSE!” The rubber arm shot forward at the Don, who immediately flattened his body lengthways to dodge. 

“CH!” The older man threw off the fur coat that had been draped over his shoulders and widened his stance, pressing his hands together tightly until they flattened out wide and round, the very part of his ability that had given him his epithet. “It’s about time YOU learned that there IS NO FREEDOM IN THIS WORLD!” The Don lurched forward, pulling his flattened hands up over his head as he dashed at the boy, he reared his arms back then seemed to disappear as soon as he was directly in front of Luffy who immediately bent over backwards, just barely dodging his attack.

“Not bad, boy, not bad at all…” 

“GOMU GOMU NO….” Luffy stretched out both arms behind him, the wide grin never leaving his face. “BAZOOKA!!!” His arms shot forward, only to hit the empty space where the Don had been seconds before. Luffy’s fists passed over several of the round tables, knocking glasses and dishes over onto the floor. His arms snapped back into place and he looked quizzically around the room, having completely lost sight of the old man.

“EH? “ Luffy felt a tickling sensation on his bare ankles and reached down to scratch them only to be pulled down and slammed onto the ground. 

The Don’s thin form slithered like a paper snake, wrapping around Luffy’s ankles and tightening, a sinister, twisted grin adorning the Don’s warped form. The older man wound himself around the rubber man, covering him from ankle to torso in a swift slinking movement that gave Luffy little to no warning. 

A chuckle came from near Luffy’s stomach and Luffy stretched his neck attempting to see what was going on. “SHISHISHI YOU LOOK FUNNY OLD MAN!”

The chuckle turned into a growl as the Don started tightening his grip ever so slightly.   
“WELL, LET’S SEE HOW YOU LIKE THIS! NOODLE WRAP!!!”

“HRNGH!” Luffy sucked in a breath at the sudden intense pressure.

“This is one of my better known torture methods. I’ve made men twice your age weep and spill their guts, sometimes literally…”

Luffy struggled in the constrictor-like grasp, pushing outward with all four limbs when a loud growl erupted from his stomach. “Ahhhh I’m SO HUNGRY! When’s the food getting here old man?”

Startled by the loud noise near the ears of his flattened form, the Don loosened his grip on Luffy, who immediately grappled to catch him. The Don slipped between his palms like silk, pooling on the floor around his feet, jumping up and grabbing him around the ankles again like a wet noodle, one flat hand planted firmly on the ground.

“EHHH…? What are you…DOIIIIING!!!” Luffy suddenly found himself lifted off the ground and slammed into the floor repeatedly from side to side.

“NOODLE HAMMER!”

“AUUUUUGHHHH!!!” Luffy yelled and began stretching himself out, trying to make himself long enough to escape the grasp of the flat man. The blows hurt, but it was nothing he wouldn’t recover from. Luffy was used to being able to pummel his opponents at will but this crazy, flat old man…he was impossible to get a hold of. 

Luffy found himself free and inflated his body. “GOMU GOMU NO FUUSEN!” The pirate bounced on his feet. There was no way the Don would be able to grab onto him when he was this big…but Luffy could only hold his breath for so long…

“You DISGUST ME!” The hoarse voice came from behind and above him. 

Luffy whipped his head upwards to see the Don hanging from one of the chandeliers like a wet towel being hung out to dry.

“GET DOWN HERE, OLD MAN.” Luffy squeezed the words out, some of his air escaping but he quickly sucked it back in. “If you don’t, I’LL COME UP THERE! FUUUUSEEEEEN!” Luffy managed to suck in even more air and began bouncing like a giant rubber ball, up and over, side to side, bouncing off the walls, ricocheting higher and higher, knocking over tables, chairs, dinnerware and pieces of the chandeliers, but never quite hitting his mark.

“NOODLE WALK!” The Don moved from chandelier to chandelier wrapping himself around them like the prehensile tail of a monkey, disgusted grunts escaping from his flat mouth all the while.

Luffy deflated entirely and sank to the floor like a feather on the wind, spread-eagling his arms and legs. “WHY CAN’T I HIT YOU?!” He yelled, reaching his arms up at the ceiling where the old man still hung like a limp noodle from the nearest chandelier.

“I told you that you were fighting a losing battle. You never should’ve come here, pirate. Maybe out of the kindness of my heart, I decide not to kill you, huh? Maybe I decide to let you just leave this island, which is more than I’ve ever given ANYONE.” His lip curled back exposing a few of his gleaming white teeth. His voice took on a mocking tone as he continued. “Go ahead, walk out that door, turn around, put one miserable foot in front of the other, gather up your filthy friends and NEVER COME BACK. Leave Toshi to me, his fate is sealed, his life is MINE, I have a contract signed in BLOOD. Now I’m offering you the deal of a lifetime and you’d be a fool to pass it up, Strawhat.” The sneer morphed into a smirk.

Luffy’s eyes widened, burning with the righteous rage that not so many men have ever possessed. “GO TO HELL!”

The Don dropped to the floor like a dishtowel then sprang up just as quickly, pressing his palms together, his hands returning to the now familiar wide and flat form as he took a step forward, spreading his arms out like a bird of prey about to dive in for the kill. 

“Then so be it.”


	7. Talk Shit Get Hit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies, I accidentally posted Chapter 8 twice instead of this one! Hope this helps make some sense out of what's happening here! It's fighting and stuff! ;3

**CHAPTER 7: Talk Shit Get Hit**

* * *

“Come on, what are you waiting for?” The swordsman gestured for Rotini to follow him out of the dungeon into the anteroom of the mansion. He’d made it to the back of the stairs and then stopped, his eyes darting around as if he expected to be attacked at any second, but it was actually eerily quiet.

Once the man had been freed from his prison, Zoro noticed how haltingly Rotini's steps became, almost as if he were a toddler and he had to wonder if it was his memory was failing him or if there was actually truth to what he said about being in prison since he was a child. 

“I…can’t believe this is really happening…” Rotini pushed one foot in front of the other and came out from behind the staircase, taking a deep breath but then hunching his shoulders, looking up as if the ceiling might cave in on him. 

“Now where’d that stripy bastard go…” Zoro began walking forward, and kept gesturing for the other man to follow him, quirking his eyebrow as the strange behavior continued. The marimo scratched his head, having completely forgotten where the hell it was he had come from in the first place. “Well…”

Zoro’s hand dropped to his hip where he felt something underneath his stomach band. He reached in a hand to pull it out. It was a full bottle of sake! His eyes lit up as he immediately uncorked it. Before putting his lips to the bottle, he thought briefly that there was probably something else he was supposed to be doing with this sake...but he couldn't remember what it was, so he shrugged before tilting it back and chugging half of it. 

“Oi, you want some?” He offered the bottle to the man behind him, who held up his hand to decline. Zoro shrugged and chugged the rest, tossing the bottle over his shoulder when he was done.

The swordsman walked toward the large double doors that were the mansions' entrance. Had he come from outside…? Yeah, that was probably it, plus there was a lot of noise coming from out there. That must be where all the fun was. He pushed both doors open, letting in a blast of air, surveying the scene before him. Usopp and Nami were nowhere to be seen. Robin and Chopper were fending off a group of Rigatoni that were near Toshi and Sanji, who were facing off with a woman wearing something other than a black suit and had a commanding air about her. Zoro guessed she was probably one of the Don’s higher up lackeys. 

A loud yell erupted from the left and Zoro pivoted on his foot, quickly unsheathing a sword and slashing the oncoming attacker with a smirk. “Oi!!!” He waved his hand at the large man behind him more insistently to get him to follow along.

“I…don’t know about this….you were very kind to break me out but I think I should go back…” 

Zoro grabbed Rotini’s arm and pulled him forward. The other man stumbling slightly as he stepped into the sunlight for the first time in who knew how many years.

“My God…” The man tilted his head back and closed his eyes, spreading his arms wide and taking a deep breath. He opened his eyes again and just stared up for what seemed like ages. “I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.”

Zoro tilted his head and stared up at the other man. “You better be as strong as you look.”

Rotini’s eyes widened as he looked back down, staring at the green haired man in front of him. His shoulders hunched and his arms wrapped around them as if he were trying to make himself smaller. “I…I’m going back inside.”

“Oh no you’re NOT.”

“HEY!” A voice rang out from directly in front of them where a group of Rigatoni had begun to gather. “It’s the guy from the dungeon…what’s he doing out?! YOU!” The grunt pointed a dagger at Zoro who simply walked forward and plucked it from his hand, tossing it behind him as he swiftly tied on his bandanna with a smirk.

“You assholes are going to regret ever locking him up…”

Rotini gasped audibly as he was surrounded by several more Rigatoni as Zoro dispatched with the upstart.

“We can’t let this asshole free, the Don would have our HEADS! Get him back inside! Look, you’re pissing off Big Sis Gemelli! HERE SHE COMES NOW!” The group of four men began pushing on the larger man who didn’t budge. 

"What's going on here?!" A woman's harsh voice demanded, full of authority as four pairs of eyes snapped up to look in her direction. She appeared in the midst of a sea of scurrying Rigatoni, taking long strides toward the group, her long braids bouncing upon her shoulders as she did so. She appeared none too pleased at the sight before her. "Are the four of you really so incompetent that you can't keep a single intruder from taking the Don's own prisoner?!" Her voice rose several octaves and several men in the vicinity had to cover their ears.

One of the Rigatoni was shaking his head fervently, holding up his hands as if to convey innocence. "Big Sis Gemelli!! We were just--"

"Just WHAT?!" Her sharp eyes scanned the grunt in a scrutinizing manner. "Do you have any idea what would happen if the Don found out about this?! You're completely useless!! Just get out of here and try not to let these pirates get away with anything else that belongs to him!" 

The four men scattered immediately after she had barked her orders, leaving Gemelli alone with Zoro and Rotini, who was still doing his best to become as small as possible despite his enormous frame.

Zoro frowned, taking an intuitive step in front of the cowering man behind him. "Who the hell are you? You're in the way," he said as his hand fell to his swords at his side, grasping the handle of one of them and preparing to draw at a moment's notice.

Gemelli scowled back at him, one hand resting on her hip. She had quite an air of superiority about her, and Zoro noted that at both of her sides she carried a long dagger curved in a shape that was very similar to that of an 'S.'

"You must be just a simple idiot," she remarked as she tilted her chin slightly upward so that she was looking down her nose at him. "You obviously have no idea what you've just done! It was so nice of you to take the Don's pet out for a walk, however should I repay you for that?" She gave them both a grin that never reached her eyes and her daggers appeared in her hands almost more quickly than their eyes could follow. "I know," she continued, her voice dripping with malice, "how about I cut you to shreds? After all, it's a favorable option compared to what the Don would do to you himself!" Without wasting another breath, Gemelli charged straight for Zoro, her daggers disappearing in a blur while she spun her own body as if she were some sort of human whirlwind.

“Oh?” Zoro’s eyes followed Gemelli’s movements as she spun toward him. He unsheathed all three of his swords, securely locking the white one between his jaws as he hunched forward, holding the other two crossed in front of him. He wasn’t intimidated in the least by this ‘Big Sis Gemelli.' 

She spun closer and he pivoted on his foot, narrowly missing the buzz saw of her attack. She darted around him, a buzzing noise not unlike that of an insect emanating from her form. A slight breeze whipped around him from the swiftness of her movements. 

Zoro smirked as he stretched his arms out, holding his swords in the shape of a triangle and began to do some spinning of his own. He reared up into the air clashing into Gemelli, metal sparking against metal. “TATSU…MAKI!!!!”

Before she realized what was happening, the Rigatoni Capo's own whirlwind attack was being swallowed up by another one that was entirely separate and stronger. She was thrown into the air via a violent gust of wind, a tangled mess of limbs until she managed to right herself. She flipped elegantly and landed on the ground seconds later in a defensive position, daggers guarding her body closely. 

She laughed haughtily, slightly breathless. "Three swords? And the one is in your mouth! You've got to be joking!" The smirk quickly morphed into a sneer. "I don't know where you learned that trick, but a bunch of wind isn't going to be enough to take me down! In fact it was a little weak if you ask me!" She spat, although the tear on the side of her uniform betrayed the fact that she had very nearly been torn to shreds for having underestimated this pirate.

Gemelli relaxed her arms for a moment before she switched her grip on her weapons, taking hold of the thick leather straps hanging from their handles. She began to spin the daggers at her sides, slowly at first, but they gradually gained more momentum until they were nothing but blurred motion. She struck with the swiftness of a serpent in the next moment, darting toward Zoro and whipping the spinning daggers forward.

“CYCLONE GEMINI!!!"

Zoro countered her attack, thrusting all three swords toward the spinning blades, pushing his full weight against his opponent. One of the blades caught his sword in its spin, pulling the weapon forcibly from his hand and throwing it several feet away, his left wrist becoming lacerated in the process.

Daggers still whirling at her sides, Gemelli paused to give him a smug grin. "Lot of good that third sword did you!"

Zoro grunted as he leapt several feet back as the blood dripped down his arm, blocking several more of her attacks with the two swords remaining in his possession. The green haired man continued to gradually leap backward towards his fallen weapon while parrying the Capo’s incessant attacks.

Zoro’s eyes followed his opponent, noting how her twin braids rose and fell with each swift movement. His lips turned up around the sword in his mouth, grateful for a challenge. The pirate’s eyes darted to the right where Gemelli was leaping at him from above, swift and fast like a hawk diving down to secure its prey. He lifted the sword in his right hand straight up, twisting the handle and pulling it forward towards his chest simultaneously, forcing her blades to wrap around it, severing one of the leather straps in the process.

Gemelli took her eyes off her opponent for only a moment, watching one of her prized daggers as it scattered off across the ground, out of reach. But the swordsman only needed that one moment to gain the upper hand.

Blood began seeping from his fingers as Zoro planted his left foot forward firmly, rearing back his head and butting the girl while her weapons were compromised, though he had no doubt she would re-secure them...in fact, he was counting on it. 

Gemelli fell over backwards, blood spurting into the air from the blow to her head, though she took that opportunity to hit the ground in a roll, quickly snapping up her missing blade and coming back up into an offensive stance. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" She screeched, immediately launching into a fresh assault.

Bending over backwards, Zoro grabbed his fallen sword and sprang back up just in time to twist out of the way of another of Gemelli’s attacks. He jumped to the left of her latest barrage, staring intently at her form to find an opening, shifting all three of his swords so they were aligned horizontally. He watched his opponent carefully as she faked an attack from the left, then dashed forward with the horizontal swords, aiming for her neck. “GAZAMI DORI!”

Gemelli's eyes widened and she could swear that the swordsman's aura had taken the shape of a crab in that instant. She reacted on pure instinct. There was a terrible clash and the sounds of metal scraping against metal and she was pushed back several feet, cold steel just centimeters from the flesh of her neck. 

The Capo had her teeth clenched firmly with the effort it had taken her to stop the blades from taking her head clean off her shoulders. Her arms shook as she attempted to overpower Zoro, but in the end she swiftly dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way, flipping back to her feet once she was at a safe enough distance. 

Her breathing was labored but her eyes showed no fear. She scowled once more. "Lucky shot!!"

Zoro’s lips turned up around the sword in his mouth. 

This island was a lot more fun than he’d expected.

oOo

Toshi stood silently, nunchaku still held out at arm’s length as he gauged the Capo who called herself Rotelle. Truth be told, Toshi was a little intimidated, never having been around many women his entire life. They were all entirely weird, though Nami and Robin had been kind and fun to be around. He gulped once as he steeled his stance, right foot pushing forward. There wasn’t any time to hesitate, not when there were people, good people, fighting for his freedom. He wouldn’t let that go to waste.

Rotelle crossed her arms in front of her, the two circular weapons scraping against each other with a loud metal ‘shing!’ Her lips turned up in a smirk. “Penne told me he doesn’t think much about your fighting, Don Toshi. He thinks you’re weak, soft…I think he hates you.”

Toshi growled low in his throat. “Ain’t that grand? Well that asshole is lying in a puddle of his own blood right now up in the mansion, for your information.” Toshi pointed to the structure behind Rotelle with his nunchaku.

Rotelle’s eyes flared with fear for a split second before she grinned again. “No one told me you were such a joker! Oh it’s going to be a lot of fun getting to know you!” She giggled again as she bent forward slightly, still unmoving from her spot. 

“GYAAAH SANJI!” Chopper’s voice cut through the momentary lull as his eyes bugged out of his head and he hid behind the chef again. “There…there’s more guys coming!!!”

The chef took a long final drag on his cigarette, dropping it to the ground and grinding it out as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Ah, the party Miss Rotelle was talking about…” He turned to look at her again, his eye morphing into a large pink heart. “But they’re not nearly as beautiful as YOU, MISS ROTELLE!!!” He wobbled on noodle-like legs before he turned back to see a man striding toward them with purpose, another group of thuggish looking Rigatoni following close behind. The man’s hand was curled around an object he held tightly at his side.

Chopper morphed back into heavy point, holding his fists up. “I can do this! I’m a man!”

"Rotelle!" Came the man's sharp call as he approached the group. "Do you think this is a game?! Stop trying to seduce the Don's heir this instant!" There was a hint of anger to the man's voice that seemed rather unwarranted. The group of thugs fanned out at his side when he stopped, awaiting orders. Clearly this man was someone from high up on the chain of command.

Rotelle’s face flushed slightly for a moment before she looked over and huffed, puffing her cheeks out. “It’s about time you got here Pici, you idiot!” She turned her nose up at the tall man. “You really like to take your sweet time! Wait until the Don hears about how LAZY you are, maybe he’ll demote you! HMPH!” She opened her mouth again after a moment. “And I…I WASN’T FLIRTING!”

Toshi rolled his eyes. “Great, this is the best birthday ever, lemme tell you.”

“AHAHAHA OH DON TOSHI, YOU’RE A RIOT!!!” Rotelle laughed behind her hand, careful not to let the metal of her weapon touch her skin.

Chopper edged back toward Sanji, who was watching the man carefully as if he were sizing him up. Pici's face was mostly obscured behind a large pair of black sunglasses, making it difficult to gauge the man's demeanor. However, a flush of color in his cheeks just then indicated that he was surprisingly affected by Rotelle's words.

"Wait until your sister hears about the way you've been strutting about like a peacock before the Don's grandson! What do you think she'll say when she finds out her sister is a harlot?!" Pici barked, causing Sanji to scowl.

"Watch what you're saying to the lady!" He growled, stepping away from Chopper. "I won't allow you to disrespect a woman in my presence!"

Pici's lips curled into a sneer as he turned toward the pirate chef. "Well, well, aren't you some kind of Prince Charming?" He sneered sarcastically.

Rotelle stomped her foot into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. “How DARE YOU! I’m not a harlot! Is it so wrong to just have a nice chat with our new leader?! The Don said we were supposed to welcome him with open arms and treat Don Toshi like we would treat him!”

“Bullshit!” Toshi spat, uncomfortable that they were having a conversation about him as if he weren’t there. He gestured to the myriad of cuts and bruises that adorned his face. “THIS is the kind of welcome my own grandpa gives me...how can you all follow him so blindly? He’s a TERRIBLE person, look what he did to Sanji!” 

Rotelle cast her gaze upon the blond chef. “Oh my…I didn’t notice that…poor thing…maybe we should just forget about this fight and treat all of these wounds, what do you say Don Toshi? Your Sanji there will be our special guest as long as he promises to behave.” She giggled again, her eyes darting over to her comrade Pici every so often as if she wanted to gauge his reaction. 

Sanji's lips curled into an absolutely ridiculous grin at the prospect of an evening with a lovely woman. "Ahh, Miss Rotelle! With the voice of an angel, could it be that you've truly deigned to invite me to stand by your side tonight? Could I truly--" 

"ENOUGH!!" Pici snapped, his cheeks burning almost as red as the long ponytail resting upon his back. "Rotelle, you should be ashamed! You're a disgrace to the rank of Capo! If you can't take these MERE PIRATES seriously then I suppose I shall have to fight them in your stead!" His hand twitched at his side, grasping the metal handle of his weapon, and in a split second there was a sound of something screeching through the air. 

Sanji saw the gush of blood burst forth in front of him and he was already flying over backward before he even felt the sting of pain on his chest.

"SANJI!!!" Chopper shrieked, horrified. He whipped his head back and forth, wanting to run to his nakama, but Pici was already stalking over to the fallen chef, holding a thick coiled whip in hand. It took the reindeer a moment to realize that was what Sanji had been struck with. He hadn't even seen the Capo draw his weapon at all!

Toshi’s eyes widened as he sucked in a gasp then yelled, “YOU SON OF BITCH!!!” This wasn’t happening. Sanji had almost died for him once today, he wasn’t about to let him do it again… He pivoted on his foot, twirling the nunchaku over his head then back in front in a figure eight motion, about to dash at the male Capo when he felt someone grab the back of his jacket. In the next moment he was being thrown into the dust, some of his flasks scattering onto the ground.

Rotelle clucked her tongue. “TSK TSK Don Toshi. If you’re still so keen on having a fight, then you can fight with ME!” Her lips split into a sinister grin as she called over her shoulder to Pici, “FIRST ONE TO FINISH THEIR FIGHT GETS AN EXTRA SLICE OF CAKE WITH DINNER! Looks like I’m winninnnnng!”

Toshi scrambled to pick up a few of the fallen flasks, gulping one or two down before throwing them behind him as he stood back to his feet. “You really think this is a game don’t you?” 

Rotelle laughed raucously as she dashed at Toshi, her circular weapons darting forward as she threw fast punches. 

Toshi barely blocked the assault, holding up his arms in a defensive motion, lacerations from the sharp edges of Rotelle’s weapons appearing on his arms and wrists. He began spinning his nunchaku again, jumping back, back, back as she kept him on the move. He bent backward to avoid another well thrown punch, then dropped into a crouch, one leg stretched out to the side. 

“CALCIO DI RIMBALZO!” He yelled, whipping his nunchaku forward across her legs, grabbing her ankle with his free hand and yanking her down in the process.

Rotelle hit the ground on her back, knocking the wind out of her for a split second before she rolled to avoid Toshi’s next attack, the ends of the nunchaku scraping the ground instead of her chest. 

“Hmmmm I guess Penne was wrong about you…” She breathed heavily trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out at her as Toshi jumped forward, whipping his nunchaku out, straight striking with a newfound fervor. Surely this is what Farfalle would have wanted; for him to fight for his freedom, fight using the weapon that his Uncle had picked out himself. 

There was a hard slapping sound as the side of Toshi’s nunchaku met Rotelle’s cheek and she shrieked, clutching at her face with her fingers as an ugly purple bruise rose up from the strike.

The Rigatoni that had followed Pici had taken their cue and attacked Chopper, who was holding his own in fisticuffs against two men at once. There was an unearthly shrieking from the back of the group, coming from a man who was screaming about how his feet were stuck to the ground.

From behind him, Robin was walking forward slowly, arms crossed in front of her. More arms began sprouting from the ground, holding the Rigatoni that had threatened to overwhelm Chopper firmly in place as he finished them off with a growl, bowling them over with his superhuman strength. 

“RAAAAAR!” The doctor wished that Luffy could see him now, fighting like a real man, but he also couldn’t help but worry about all the blood he’d seen gushing from Sanji's chest. 

“CIEN FLEUR!” Robin yelled out from the right, taking out a man who had been lunging for Chopper’s throat. She grew several pairs of arms along the ground in a trail, using them to topple and then carry the fallen soldiers towards the fountain and not so gracefully toss them into the water.

Chopper grinned at Robin, grateful that the archaeologist always had his back. She smiled back at him as she continued to walk forward.

“OCHO FLEUR!” A nearby Rigatoni was engulfed by eight pairs of arms sprouting from his shoulders down his legs. “TWIST!”

A cry of pain was heard as the man’s whole body was wrung like a wet towel in Robin’s grasp. 

Chopper reared back his fist and punched yet another Rigatoni that had advanced on him and the man went sailing into Robin’s open arms.

“VEINTE FLEUR!” She grew a myriad of hands back to back in a circular pattern, catching the man that Chopper punched and turned on her heel, tossing him behind her. He landed in the trail of hands and joined all the others that had been tossed into the fountain. 

“Thank you Robin!” The reindeer called out. The Rigatoni that had accompanied the man with the whip were down and Chopper wheeled back around to where Sanji was picking himself off the ground, an angry look adorning his face. “Sanji!” He was about to run to him to administer medical attention when Robin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. There was no time, some of the Rigatoni weren’t down for the count just yet and there were new ones joining their ranks from the mansion. Not only that, but Pici's ominous form stood directly in the reindeer's path...

"Where do you think you're going, little raccoon?!" Pici sneered down at the doctor, moving his head slightly from Chopper to Robin. Chopper took an inadvertent step backward, bumping Robin's leg. The archeologist frowned, poised to defend the both of them.

"Oi!" Called a ragged voice from behind the Capo. "Don't think you've beaten me just yet, you shitty pony-tail!"

The corners of Pici's lips pulled downward at the insult. "That's rich, coming from a guy with such a stupid-looking eyebrow."

"Sanji!" Chopper fussed, unable to do anything to help from where he stood. He looked on with worry as the chef pushed himself off the ground using a great amount of effort, a puddle of blood forming beneath him from the open wound on his chest.

"Stay back, both of you," Sanji warned as he painstakingly got to his feet. "This is nothing!" He wavered a moment before he regained his equilibrium, leveling a glare toward Pici, who only laughed.

"HA! Idiot! Look at you, dripping blood everywhere! You look like you're about to pass out at any second!" He gave the chef a devilish grin. "Guess you just want me to put you out of your misery!" He turned from Chopper and Robin, taking an offensive stance with his whip held out at his side, and was still for only a moment before he disappeared completely before their eyes.

But Sanji was ready for him this time. As Pici appeared again, the whip cut through the air at a dangerous speed and the chef swiftly leaped aside. Dust and debris exploded from the ground as the whip carved a deep gash into the dirt. Sanji landed nimbly behind Pici, ready with an attack of his own.

"COTELETTE!!" He shouted out as he flipped his body into a handstand and connected a hard kick to Pici's ribs. As the man doubled over, Sanji wasted no time continuing his momentum as he then spun around in the opposite direction, delivering another kick to the Capo's lower back. "SELLE!!"

There was a loud 'crack!' as the kick hit its mark, and Pici was sent tumbling head over heels. Sanji took that moment to catch his breath, sinking into a crouch. One hand brushed over his wound and he felt a wet warmth pooling beneath his shirt. Not a fatal injury, but it would surely slow him down a bit... He tsked in contempt as he watched Pici right himself in mid-air, flipping gracefully to land neatly on his feet about twenty yards away, though visibly wincing from the direct attacks he'd taken from Sanji.

"Heh! Not so bad, I guess!" Pici grinned, although there was nothing friendly about it. "Maybe you'll give me more of a workout than I thought!" Sanji could have sworn he saw the man's gaze drift from himself to Rotelle and Toshi's fight going on not too far away, but then again, it was difficult to tell with the sunglasses he was still wearing. 

However, before Sanji could give it a second thought, Pici was on the offense again and the whip was screeching through the air once more...

oOo

Luffy reared his fist back, ready for anything the Don was about to throw at him, he stared straight ahead at his on-coming opponent, their twin sneers burning into each other, teeth gritting and grinding when the Don suddenly disappeared. 

Luffy’s eyes widened and he yelled with frustration, throwing his head back, when it hit.

CRASH!

The pirate’s entire world began to wobble as his head was repeatedly smashed between the two large flat hands of the Don. The pummeling became worse with each second until Luffy was literally vibrating. He lost his equilibrium, falling over onto the ground clutching at his head as his brain rattled around inside his skull.

The Don stood back admiring his handiwork as he dusted his enormous flat hands off against each other. 

“Ararabuhdahbah….” Luffy gurgled and rolled around on the floor in a circle around the Don. 

“Don’t say I didn’t give you the chance to turn around and run off like a dog with its tail between its legs, boy! Now you’re going to find out how it feels to wish you’d never been born.”

Luffy only laughed as he sat up straight, clutching at his hat. “Are you okay, hat?!”

The Don’s eye twitched. “HOW ARE YOU OKAY AFTER THAT?!”

“Shishishishi…hey old man, I’m still hungry, you know?” Luffy stuck his pinky finger up his nose and stood to his feet.

“Looks like some permanent damage WAS made to that thick head at least…” The Don smirked with triumph.

Luffy grinned, pulling his finger out and then backflipped, kicking the Don in the face as he stretched his arms out to grab one of the chandeliers. He pulled himself up onto it, swinging about like a monkey. “NOPE! SHISHISHISHI! GOMU GOMU NO…” He swung on the chandelier faster and faster, elongating his legs and pressing the soles of his feet together.

“SPEAR!” The pirate yelled as he let go and began sailing down toward the Don. His feet hit him squarely in the chest and knocked the old man onto the ground where he immediately flattened himself, appearing like a human-shaped puddle on the floor.

“You can’t hurt me, boy!” The Don smirked up at Luffy, who only scratched his head and began grinning again as if nothing ever fazed him, not even failure after constant failure…which is certainly how the Don was viewing this fight. 

Luffy pressed his palms against the Don’s flat form, the grin never leaving his face as he lifted his head back, and it kept going and going, his neck stretching out until the top of his head touched the ceiling. “HOW ABOUT THIS? GOMU GOMU NO...BELL!!!” His neck snapped forward, the straw hat flying back from the pirate’s head, kept around his neck by only a small white string. His head smashed against the Don’s flat form on the floor, immediately ricocheting off and sending the rubber man’s entire body flying back and crashing through the few tables in the room that had been left unturned.

The Don morphed back into his normal form, brushing off his once white shirt. “Well all you’ve managed to do so far is piss me off and dirty my clothes. Did you HONESTLY think you’d be able to ‘save’ Toshi?” He held up his hands making quotations marks. 

“Ehhhhhhh?” 

“IDIOT! I DON’T KNOW WHY I BOTHER WASTING MY TIME WITH YOU.” The older man’s eyes narrowed as he began walking purposefully towards Luffy.

“Don Fettuccine, your royalness…” A voice came from a door near the back of the room and a meek looking man in a chef’s uniform poked his head out. “Where do you want the cake? We just finished it.” The man tried desperately hard not to notice the huge mess that the grand ballroom had become. When you worked for the Alfredo family it was just a given that there was violence going on at all times. The chef just wanted to do his job and escape with his life. 

The Don sighed. “WELL, I hope you used the new butter cream frosting recipe I requested. I threw up for ten days straight after I tasted the LAST cake you brought me. But this is for my grandson, MY HEIR… so it better as hell be AMAZING!”

The man nodded and opened the door the rest of the way, wheeling in the five-tiered cake iced in blue and white with the help of another chef who was trying his hardest not to shake in his shoes just from being in the presence of the Port of Soba’s tyrannical leader.

The Don watched with a critical eye as the men painstakingly transferred the enormous cake onto the center of the buffet table. “Hmm, it’s slightly off center,” he commented, and was about to make further derogatory comments when he heard what sounded slightly like a choking noise behind him. The Don whipped his head around to see Luffy with his mouth hanging wide open, a miniature river of drool pouring from the gaping cavity. His eyes were no better; they’d morphed into twinkling stars and he began walking forward like a zombie towards the cake. 

“CAAAAAAKE!!!” The pirate yelled with delight and launched himself at it. His hands stretched out first to meet the pristine frosting, smearing it as he grabbed off large chunks, shoving them into his mouth and swallowing until his body had stretched far enough to hold the entire cake. 

Luffy sat with his back leaning against the buffet table, patting his now huge stomach, a ring of blue frosting around his mouth. He let out a satisfied breath. “WHOOOO that was some GOOD CAKE! It almost makes me think you’re not so bad…ALMOST SHISHISHISHI!”

The Don stood there dumbfounded, fists clenched at his sides as he surveyed the infuriating sight before him. His eye twitched, his forehead throbbing with multiple anger veins popping out from his ashen skin. He stomped his foot into the ground, his Flat Flat powers causing the leg to undulate from flat back to normal as he continued to glare the pirate.

“DISGUSTING!” The Don finally spat after staring long and hard at the entirely too happy face of Monkey D. Luffy.

The grin disappeared from Luffy’s face as he looked over. “EHHHH? BUT I SAID IT WAS GOOD!” His lips jutted out like a duck’s as he pouted.

“I’M THE ONLY PERSON ALLOWED TO JUDGE WHAT FOOD IS GOOD AND WHAT ISN’T! Look at you….huge and round as if you actually ENJOYED EATING.”

Luffy simply grinned. “I DO! I LOVE EATING!” He began picking his teeth with his fingernails. “You got any meat? I’m actually still hungry…” 

The Don was seeing red about now. “YOU LOVE EATING?” He smashed his fist into his palm, his entire arm flattening an undulating like a ribbon blowing in the wind. 

“Yeah!” Luffy answered with a wide grin. “I just said that! You should learn to listen, old man. SHISHISHISHI!” Luffy continued to pat his round belly.

“WELL I LOVE KILLING FOOLISH UPSTARTS WHO THINK THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THE HELL THEY PLEASE! You’re a damned fool if you think anything you do here today is going to make a difference...” His lip curled back as he continued to stare at Luffy in disgust. He hated the sight of people enjoying food, hated it almost more than anything. He continued, “There’s only one way this story ends, and it’s with YOUR DEATH!”

Luffy stood to his feet, sucking in a deep breath, his stomach stretching out even more for a few seconds until his body assimilated all the cake inside him and he bounced back to normal. “SHISHISHI!”

The Don’s eyes widened. “You’re a FREAK! I’d be doing the world a favor by taking you out of it!”

Luffy continued to grin. “That’s never going to happen! Weren’t you listening, old man?! I’M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!” He grabbed his bicep, taking a step back.

The Don scoffed, “I think some of that frosting may have ended up in your ears, BOY! You’re the one who’s not listening.” The Don began walking slowly toward him, walking in a circle around the Strawhat pirate as if he were taking in and memorizing everything about him. “You think you can just come to MY ISLAND and do whatever the hell you want?! I OWN this place…and since you obviously didn’t hear me the first half dozen times, I OWN Toshi. Toshi is going to become what I want him to be, do what I want him to do, BECOME MY PROTÉGÉ , MY HEIR, MY SUCCESSOR. Do you understand?!”

Luffy’s eyes narrowed as he shook his head. “You’re wrong.”

“Am I? I’ve built this island to my exact specifications from the GROUND UP after I overthrew those lousy BOLOGNESE! You think just because you’re ‘strong,'” he said sarcastically, “that you can destroy the LIFETIME of work I put into this place?!” The Don laughed raucously.

“Toshi doesn’t want this, old man… You’re WRONG to force him! Everyone should be allowed to be free, to choose their own path, that’s why I’m going to be the KING OF THE PIRATES!”

The Don’s laughter only increased as he heard the bold words from this brash young boy’s mouth. “THE PIRATE KING, OHHH YOUR MAJESTY!” He mock bowed. The Don stepped closer so that he was only a few feet away from Luffy, lowering his voice to a deep gravelly whisper. “There IS no freedom in this world and the sooner you learn that, the better.” He stepped yet closer, flattening out his right arm and waving it in front of him like a tamed cobra, Luffy’s eyes following its every move. “There is only control. He who has the most CONTROL will be the one who wins in the end. That I get to decide other people’s destinies, well, that’s my right. Toshi is mine by that same right…and nothing on hell or earth is going to take that right from me.”

Luffy’s expression had become dazed as he followed the motion of the Don’s arm, it was so hypnotic. Then the Don reared his arm back and snapped it at Luffy, hitting him hard across the face. 

“Toshi doesn’t have time for the likes of you PIRATES. Toshi’s got things he has to take of now to ensure my legacy doesn’t die with me. I’ve owned him since before he was born. The same blood that runs through my veins runs through his. In fact, I think I may just go and get him so he can watch your gruesome death…” The sinister smirk that spread over the Don’s face was only accentuated by the sharp inhuman angle that his cheekbones cut into his hollow face.

Luffy’s head had been pushed to the side as he was slapped and he turned back toward the Don, red hand mark emblazoned on his cheek and his eyes burning with righteous fire. His fists gripped tightly at his sides and a low growl arose from the boy’s throat as he narrowed his eyes.

The Don had finally pushed Luffy too far.


	8. Dark Past

**CHAPTER 8: Dark Past**

* * *

“This way, come on, we’re losing him!” Nami had taken the lead and was now the one dragging Usopp, who kept digging his heels into the dirt, sure there was danger around the corner.

“I…I..I changed my mind! NAMI LET’S GO BACK!”

Nami gave him an incredulous look. “GO BACK? THIS WAS YOUR IDEA AND YOU PROMISED ME TREASURE!”

Usopp shook his head defiantly, his goggles rattling around on top of his head. “I NEVER SAID THAT!”

Nami clapped her hand over his mouth. “SHHHH! Do you want someone to hear us?!”

Usopp spoke what sounded like nonsense behind her hand and Nami rolled her eyes, releasing him.

The duo continued their trek, following the small golden-clad man through a side door of the mansion. He looked around cautiously and they watched him from behind a large white pillar. He ran his hands up and down a wall of the mansion in an out of the way area that had several small wooden tables topped with ornate white and blue vases with tableaus of miniature villages and flowers sprawling across them. His hand caught in the middle of the wall and he pushed forward, opening up a panel in the wall. There was the sound of stone scratching against stone as a small door way, the same height as the man opened up and he silently slipped through.

Nami made a mad dash for the opening that was quickly closing behind the small man, diving and sliding across the floor with her clima tact outstretched, just managing to catch the door before it closed all the way. She grinned back at Usopp.

“Gr-great…” The sniper yanked on an invisible collar. “I’ll stand guard and you go on ahead…” His teeth chattered in fear when Nami grabbed him and pulled him down on his knees next to her, where she carefully pried the panel open until it touched the outside wall and gestured towards the dark opening.

She could feel a cool wind blowing up from whatever was down there. “Ladies first,” she said with a smirk.

Usopp turned up his nose as he rolled his eyes and crawled through the tunnel on his hands and knees, Nami following shortly after.

The tunnel became steeper and slippery the further the duo crawled downwards. Nami’s sandal slipped and she crashed into Usopp, the two of them sliding the rest of the way down out into the opening, stifling their screams so that the man would be unaware of their presence.

Usopp sat up from their tangled pile on the floor rubbing his head and looking up at the insanely tall ceilings. “Where are we?”

Nami pushed herself off of him, standing up and doing a full circle around the cavernous area they’d been tossed into. It appeared to be all stone and jail cells. She dusted her skirt off as she folded her arms in disappointment. “There’s no treasure here at all, this is a dungeon!”

“Du-dungeon?!” The sniper hissed through his teeth that immediately started chattering again, “Na-na-na-nami! I told you I didn’t want to come down here! Your greed is going to get me killed!”

Nami rolled her eyes and gestured to the emptiness around her. “There’s no one here though. And no treasure either…” She bit the inside of her cheek.

He frowned in response. "How can you be thinking about treasure at a time like this? What about Toshi?!" He whispered harshly.

Nami averted her eyes, her lips jutting out to the side as she grasped her upper arm. “Of course we’re gonna save Toshi too! What kind of monster do you think I am!”

Usopp opened his mouth to reply when he heard a gasping noise from up ahead. It was dark in the dungeon, but there was a beam of light from a high window up ahead. Laying in its path was the man in gold, on his knees, though it was hard to tell since he was so small in stature.

Usopp touched Nami’s shoulder. “Oi.” He nodded towards the man.

Nami’s face fell at the apparent grief that the man’s body language was displaying. She met Usopp’s eyes and whispered, “Maybe we should go.”

Usopp nodded, turning on his heel when he slipped on a cobblestone that was slick with water dripping from the ceiling above. He fumbled for purchase, flailing his arms and then grabbed Nami, taking the both of them down with a loud clatter of his slingshot.

The man looked up immediately, standing and holding the key they’d seen earlier in his hands as he tentatively stepped forward. “Who’s there?”

Usopp gulped, not moving even though Nami’s elbow was smashing his face into the ground as he parted his lips and sang out, “It is I, the ghost of the man who died down here…whoooo...”

The old man’s voice caught in his throat. “Th-that’s not funny…which one of you bastards followed me down here…? Is it you, Pici you asshole?”

They could almost hear his teeth grinding together as he stepped forward.

“Alright, alright!” Usopp stood up holding his hands up in a defensive position, though he was still not very intimidated as the man in question was barely taller than Chopper.

The man stepped to the side, letting the light fall on the two pirates and his face completely changed to an expression of relief. “You’re from the group of pirates…”

“Yes, yes,” Nami piped up. “We were looking for treasure, it’s what pirates do you know…” She fidgeted with her clima tact, wishing they’d been able to get out of there before the man had seen them.

“Well you’re too late. He’s taken everything from me, and my treasure…my treasure is gone.” He glanced back over his shoulder at one of the dungeon cells that hung wide open, the door sagging on its hinge, a pile of what used to be a lock splayed out on the floor in front of it.

“Oi Nami, I’m telling you we should ju-just go…let’s not get involved…” Usopp started backing away when Nami grabbed the strap of his overalls and pulled him back.

“Not a chance! Not while there’s still the possibility of treasure…” Nami trailed off and was about to speak again when she heard the old man start to softly sob. She was taken aback for a split second, this being the last thing she expected from one of the mafia members and she stepped forward, putting a hand gently on his shoulder. “Hey…what’s wrong?”

The man half-heartedly tried to push her away as he rubbed his eyes on the sleeve of his golden colored jacket. “It’s nothing… You should leave here, get out of this place. I don’t know who you are or why you’re here, but coming here was most assuredly a mistake.”

Usopp gulped audibly. “Just how bad IS this place, old man?”

Nami nodded in agreement. “And why would your treasure be in the dungeon?”

The man hesitated, wringing his hands in front of him. Things were uncertain right now, the entire mansion had been thrown into chaos, and now, seeing the empty cell, what did he have to lose?

He cleared his throat. “My name is Orzo. I’m Don Alfredo’s consiglieri, his advisor. The treasure that’s missing…it’s my grandson, Rotini. He was being kept here in this cell…” Orzo sucked in his breath, trying to keep his composure.

Nami put a hand on her hip, her eyebrows shooting up at this admission. “What?! Why would your grandson be in the DUNGEON? And you’re allowing it?!”

“Yeah!” Usopp piped up. “What kind of grandpa would do that?!” He held a hand to his chin giving Orzo a disapproving look.

“It’s not like that…”

Nami sniffed with disdain. “If you’re the Don’s advisor, surely your own grandson wouldn’t have to be kept locked up!”

“Is he dangerous or something?” Usopp added.

Orzo shook his head. “Not at all, it’s…a long story…”

 

oOo

_“Cecelia! We made it!” Fettuccine Alfredo helped his bride gingerly walk down the planks, off his ship and onto the port of Soba’s docks. They’d been married at sea, and although he’d first taken her as a prize from the family of nobles he’d robbed blind, he found that in the months they’d spent together he’d truly come to love her. Not only that, but she was several months along in her first pregnancy, expecting his child. Fettuccine had never envisioned himself as a father in the past, but now found himself looking forward to raising their child with Cecelia._

_“Fettuccine, thank goodness. Are you sure it’ll be safe here?” Cecelia was timidly glancing around, relieved that Fettuccine had been able to hide all semblance of his piratehood before they docked at the Port of Soba._

_“Of course, my darling,” he reassured her, putting his arm securely around her shoulders as they entered the town, followed closely by his top men, dressed in all black and acting as his body guards. He’d lost many men at sea during the battle with the nobles, but in the end he had prevailed with his devil fruit power as he stole away with Cecelia._

_Now that she was with child, he found himself thinking more about their future together and how he wanted a safe place for them to settle down. He’d earned a rather large bounty during his many raids as a pirate and it had skyrocketed after his last exploit, the name of “Flathands Fettuccine” having become quite renowned. His appearance was so different in battle due to his devil fruit however, that he was sure with a hat and some discreet clothing they’d get along just fine in this new town without attracting too much attention._

_**5 MONTHS LATER** _

_“It’s a beautiful baby girl!” the doctor announced, placing the squirming bundle onto Cecelia’s chest after she’d been washed up and wrapped in a blanket. Fettuccine had not left Cecelia’s side throughout her entire labor and the death grip that she had on his hand finally slipped away as she held their newborn daughter._

_Quickly shaking out his hand, Fettuccine gazed at his daughter for the first time. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen…she even had a full head of hair already, and as it began to dry, he could see that it was curly and wispy, akin to a little crown of flowers._

_“Fiori…” He whispered as he placed his index finger in her tiny fist and she yawned up at him. He lost his heart to his daughter forever in that moment._

_**2 YEARS LATER** _

_“DaDa! Look!” Little Fiori was becoming quite adept at talking and also walking, though she sometimes fell down. Fettuccine let her walk on his feet just to practice and sometimes dance. The man doted on his daughter as if she actually were a princess. Fiori and Cecelia were his whole world._

_Somehow his plan to fit in with the locals had worked out. His men had even gotten married and had children of their own. His first mate, Mostaccioli Rigate, had a son last year. His name was Penne and he often played with Fiori. The two were best friends and Cecelia often joked about how they’d probably get married one day._

_Fettuccine thought he’d be able to do it, really, live a normal life... But after two years, his hands began to itch and the desire for power, the desire for control that had haunted him for so many years, began to creep back into his heart. He wouldn’t simply be satisfied with blending in, no...but he knew he needed to start small._

_The ruling body of the Port of Soba was family oriented, run by the head of the Bolognese family, a man named Orzo. Small in stature, but very kind and very wise. He had a son named Ditalini, a bright teen boy who held a promising future. They were supported by a council that met to vote on and decide things and trials with witnesses were held to decide the fates of any wrongdoers._

_Fettuccine began studying the local government, learning the ins and outs, the rules and how they were made. He would listen in on town hall meetings, shoved between the cracks of the walls or the ceilings. Nothing went on that he didn’t know about or wasn’t able to find out about._

_A year passed in this fashion when his plans to conquer the Port of Soba began to take shape. Fettuccine’s crewmen had remained loyal to him throughout the years they’d been living on the Port of Soba and he rallied them together one night._

_“We’re going to take over this island…” He announced, pacing in front of the group of men in an abandoned warehouse near the wharf. “It won’t be easy so any of you assholes who can’t hack it you’re free to go now! But for the rest of you…”_

_He laid out his detailed plan, spies on every street, men in the black market facilitating weapons deals, contacts in other cities spoken to via den den mushi weekly. He began bringing in large amounts of arms, all types of weapons and illegal drugs. His men built up a reputation for being dangerous, bribes were thrown around and deaths that sometimes were a little TOO convenient began to happen on a regular basis. Nothing was too far, no deed too horrible for Fettuccine’s men to carry out. The men that were once renowned pirates had become an organized crime ring. The whispers in the streets referred to them as the Rigatoni, but they were formally known as the Alfredo Mafia, with Don Fettuccine himself pulling all the strings._

_No amount of begging from Cecelia could stop him. He saw everything that happened, facilitated every wrong doing right under the nose of the Bolognese family. His gold stores from his last raid on the nobles as a pirate had been more than enough to bribe any member of the government to keep his secrets. The town was flourishing even greater than before, but unbeknownst to the ruling family it ran on misdeeds. The Port of Soba was crawling with all types of pirates, both nasty and adventurers alike. It was an oasis and a dark place at the same time, and the Alfredo family had its fingers in everything before long._

_Many years passed in this fashion, the Bolognese family blissfully unaware of the elaborate crime ring that ruled the Port of Soba right under their noses._

_However, secrets can only be kept for so long…_

 

 

oOo

_It was a bright day when Ditalini Bolognese officially took over for his father as the mayor of the Port of Soba. He had married his childhood sweetheart, Trenette, and together they had a five year old son named Rotini. The town treated the affair as if it were a holiday, the town square was decorated, there were flowers and ribbons everywhere, and a gigantic cake for everyone to share._

 

_The Don turned up his nose as he watched the goings-on from afar. He was awaiting a rather large arms shipment from one of his trading partners; he had to be on time to make the swap, the gold for the weapons…_

_Cecelia, of course, had insisted on coming out for the ceremony. She often got sentimental about the Bolognese family, although he couldn’t tell why. He supposed they were like celebrities to his wife, or maybe she felt some kind of kinship to them, having been a noble herself at one point. She’d brought Fiori, and the Don had assigned some of his most trusted men to guard the two of them._

_The ceremony went off without a hitch and the party had started, the myriad of citizens eating cake, laughing, and dancing in the town square._

_The Don eyed the horizon. Something wasn’t quite right; his trading partner should have been here by now. Out of the corner of his eye, the Don finally spotted the ship. Instead of coming from the front as usually it was sailing sideways into the bay. Strange...but he was just relieved that they were here at all._

_The ship docked and everything seemed to be in order until a lone man emerged and walked down onto the docks towards the Don. His face was hidden by a large brimmed hat and he was wearing a dark cloak, but he was definitely not the man that Don Fettuccine expected. He could feel his whole body tense up as the man’s long strides brought him closer and closer, he was holding something in his right hand, something that looked like…_

_No…_

_The Don immediately jumped back as the man’s head lifted and he lunged forward, a pair of seastone cuffs ready to be clapped over his wrists. He fluttered in the wind like a piece of paper, dodging every attack that the man aimed his way._

_“Where’s Antonio, you bastard?!” The Don hissed through flat teeth towards the man that he now guessed was undoubtedly a Marine._

_“In jail, like you’ll soon be!” The man flipped to the other side of the Don, throwing his dark cloak off to reveal the Marine jacket with the symbols for ‘Justice’ emblazoned upon the back. “Heh.” He reached a hand into his pocket, withdrawing a piece of paper with a familiar sight upon it...Fettuccine’s wanted poster. “We’ve finally found you, Flathands Fettuccine!”_

_No…this wasn’t happening…just when everything was in place, everything was perfect, he was the master of this island in everything else if not in official title. Fettuccine would be damned if he was going to let the stupid marines take away all his hard work because one of his business partners had blabbed about his former pirate status. Contemplating which of his attacks he wanted to use to end this man’s life and get on with his business, Fettuccine noticed that the man had called for reinforcements that were now beginning to swarm over the docks toward him._

_“Shit…” Flattening himself and flipping backwards, he took off towards the gathering in the town, where all his loyal Rigatoni would jump to his aid and fend off all these idiots. It would cause a scene, sure, but maybe this was the chance he’d been waiting for to seize complete power of the island…_

_Sure enough, the marines were right behind him as he entered the celebration. He flattened himself among the crowd, slinking along the outskirts and whispering to the black-clad men and women that composed his Rigatoni._

_There was a shriek as the marines began pushing and shoving their way through the crowd in their attempts to find Don Fettuccine._

_The man who’d attacked him earlier, clearly the leader of this band of marines, stomped to the middle of the square, climbing up onto the table that held the cake, waving his arms and yelling, “I am Lieutenant Jordann, there is a snake in your midst, but perhaps many of you are already aware.” He held the seastone cuffs high above his head. “The infamous pirate Flathands Fettuccine has been living among you!”_

_A gasp rose from the crowd, followed by frantic murmurs of the common folk._

_Fettuccine was pressed flat against the wall between two buildings, biting his lip as he contemplated his next move, the Rigatoni were already preparing for a counter attack, the plan be whispered among their ranks, spreading through the crowd quickly._

_Jordann continued his speech, “He’s fooled you all this time, but he is the very man who destroyed the Barron noble family and robbed them blind. Who among you will stand for this? Who among you will help me bring him to justice?” He produced Fettuccine’s wanted poster once more and held it out for the crowd to see. “Step up and claim your reward.”_

_A short statured man that everyone was very familiar with pushed his way to the front of the crowd. It was Orzo._

_“Everyone calm down, the marines are here to help us. So anyone who has information regarding Flathands Fettuccine, please just calmly step forward and let Lieutenant Jordann know.”_

_The Don grit his teeth. Of course Orzo would comply, he always had a thing for the rules, his foolish naiveté leading him to believe all was right with the world. Fettuccine always thought that Orzo had no idea he existed, much less the elaborate crime syndicate that all but ruled the Port of Soba, but the possibility that the man had just turned a blind eye for the sake of harmony was suddenly at the forefront of his mind. Was this behavior the mark of good leader or a true fool?_

_No one budged or said a word and the Don felt his lips turn up in a smirk; there were so many people loyal to him in this town. 'So man more than you, Orzo you old fool…' It seemed the other half were cowards, then. All the better for the Don._

_Jordann began flipping the seastone cuffs over his fingers. “So, none of you wants to rat out your precious Fettuccine...it seems that the lot of you have perhaps been brainwashed. He’s a cunning man, you know, able to take out an entire noble family and get away scot free. Come, speak up before I’m forced to do a search. It’s within my rights as granted by the world government.” He leaned forward, putting a free hand to his ear to better hear whoever was surely going to give Fettuccine away as the group of marines that had followed him clutched their guns tightly, casting glances around at the seemingly timid crowd._

_A teen girl with a head full of dark curly hair burst forth at the front of the crowd, ignoring the black-clad man and woman who were running behind her grappling for her arm to pull her back into the safety of the masses._

_“You’ll never take my father! He’s the strongest man on this island! You should just leave!” Fiori defiantly turned up her chin at the lieutenant._

_'Fiori, no…' The Don felt his heart jump into his throat at the fact that his baby girl was so close to the man who wanted him dead. What if...what if she were to get hurt?! He slunk to the ground, slithering on it across the cobblestones through the crowd. He’d grab her and bring her back to a safe place..._

_Jordann leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. “Oh? Your father, you say? Well then, missy, you’re more than welcome to join him in prison.” His lips turned up in a sneer as he jumped down from the table and reared his hand back to slap her._

_“ENOUGH!!!” Cecelia appeared, jumping in front of Fiori, her chest heaving from her exertion. She had just run across the entire courtyard. Her eyes blazed like fire as she pushed Fiori back and stood face to face with Jordann. “No one threatens my daughter and gets away with it…”_

_The lieutenant’s eyes widened. “That means….you…”_

_Cecelia held her head high defiantly, just like her daughter before her. “Me. What of it?”_

_“You’re the girl he took from the Barron family. All these years…you stayed with him? Had his child?”_

_Cecelia narrowed her eyes. “You don’t know anything about it.”_

_“I know that pirates are the enemies of the marines. Enemies of the world government. I’m sworn to protect them, but you…you’ve cast your lot in with them willingly. I heard the stories, tried to make it look like a sacrifice, but I know how people like you are.” He raised his arm, pointing an accusing finger at her chest._

_Cecelia didn’t budge. “Fiori get back, find your father, just…”_

_“MOM!!!!”_

_Fiori screamed as a knife that seemed to just appear of out nowhere in Jordann’s hand entered Cecelia’s chest. Blood immediately gushing forward, her body trembling as the life drained out of her._

_The lieutenant twisted the knife and yanked it out, flicking it to the side so that Cecelia’s blood came off cleanly._

_“I guess I’m getting two for the price of one…” He licked his lips as the knife retracted back into the spring-loaded holder that was hidden by the long sleeves of his cloak._

_Jordann’s subordinates and the Rigatoni took this as their cue to begin the fighting. Utter chaos erupted in the town square as the gunshots rang out everywhere in the vicinity. People trampled each other to get away from the fight between the Rigatoni and the marines that had escalated far beyond what anyone had imagined. Orzo had grabbed his family and was attempting to get them away from the blood and the screams._

_The Don froze. The choking sound of his wife’s dying seemed to reverberate through his entire body. He slowly reformed himself, rising almost as if out of the ground where he had been flattened. He was only a few feet away…only a few seconds too late to save her. He should’ve ran, he shouldn’t have hidden. HE SHOULD’VE HAD MORE URGENCY! Maybe he really was the snake that the marines thought._

_Fettuccine stumbled forward towards his wife like a drunken man while Jordann took the scene in, enjoying the anguish that was painted over Flathands Fettuccine’s face._

_The Don fell to his knees as he clutched the now lifeless body of Cecelia to his chest, the blood running from her mouth staining his clothes. He hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye. What’s more, his daughter...no, THEIR daughter...had been made to watch her mother die, just as helpless and hopeless as the Don felt. Her sobs mingled with his own as she threw herself against her father’s chest._

_Time seemed to slow down as the loud clop of boots on cobblestone neared the tragic scene, the clink of seastone cuffs accompanying it as a shadow fell over the grieving family._

_“It’s time to pay your dues, Flathands…” Jordann reached out his hand to grab the Don by the wrist, but he was too fast. Fairly throwing Fiori away from the scene, his arm slipped like silk through Jordann’s hands as he slunk away from him like a snake._

_“Don’t you come near me…you think what I’ve done is so horrible? YOU’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER OF A NOBLE NOW!”_

_Jordann spat on the ground, just barely missing Cecelia’s head. “She became trash the moment she consented to a life with you. There’s nothing for you now, come…let’s end this already.”_

_The Don rose to his full height, body freakishly flattened and blowing in the wind like a paper doll. He held out one of his arms as if to say ‘go ahead, put them on me.’_

_The lieutenant smirked, satisfied that he’d broken the spirit of this infamous criminal, fairly gleeful at all the riches and fame he was going to receive for being the one to finally bring him in._

_The Don’s hand reared back and snapped like a whip, slapping the seastone cuffs out of the marine’s hands and reaching for Jordann’s forearm instead. He curled himself around Jordann, first the arm, then the torso, then the leg._

_Then he began to squeeze…_

_A gasp rose from the lieutenant’s throat that immediately became a choke, saliva beginning to rise up and pour from his mouth as the boa constrictor like grasp of the Don became tighter and tighter. He realized too late that he'd really had no idea what this man had truly been capable of._

_His eyes began to bulge from their sockets as his insides compacted tighter and tighter. A half dozen loud pops rang out as his ribs broke one by one, splintering and forcing bone fragments into his internal organs._

_There was a final sickening crack as Lieutenant Jordann’s spine snapped in half, his body immediately going limp in the Don’s grasp. Fettuccine slunk away slowly, bringing himself back into his ‘normal’ form as he folded his arms, surveying his work, a sinister smile adorning his lips even as the tears streamed down his face. He’d never be able to replace what he lost. Cecelia was gone forever, but he still had Fiori...and Fiori needed her father._

_Fiori was nearby, eyes half covered with trembling hands as she sunk to the ground, feeling even more numb than before. Never had she witnessed death this close, and never had she expected to see her father murder someone with his incredible powers. She felt a chill pass through her body as her mind tried to wrap itself around the fact that her life would never be the same from this day forward._

_The Don made his decision in a split second. It had to be now. Now, while the scales were tipped in his favor. Even through all the sorrow, he had to take a chance when he saw it. The island would be his, he’d gain the control he’d always craved, do away with this Bolognese family who had been so willing to bow to the might of the marines._

_The Port of Soba would be his._

_A final gunshot rang out and the last marine fell, downed by the gun of a Rigatoni._

_The Don climbed up onto the same table that Jordann had used as his soapbox, yelling at the top of his lungs, “IT’S OVER. AND NOW THE TRUTH IS PLAIN TO ALL, AS IF YOU DIDN’T ALREADY KNOW WHO ACTUALLY RAN THIS TOWN…”_

_Mostaccioli and another of the Don’s men, a rotund man by the name of Farfalloni, walked to the front of the square where the Don stood tall on the table, supporting him with their presence. The both of them were his right hand men and were already in the process of grooming their young sons to take their places one day._

_The young Penne approached Fiori, opening his arms to her, where she sobbed on his chest, completely devastated. His best friend, Farfalloni’s son Farfalle, came up on Fiori’s other side, patting her back and whispering soothing words._

_The Don continued, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice, desperately trying to keep his composure in front of the whole town as he made his declaration. “THIS TOWN BELONGS TO ME, AND YOU’RE FREE TO LEAVE IF THIS DISPLEASES YOU. However…” He lowered his voice. “Most of you are quite useful to me, and I’d like to see you all join the ranks of the Alfredo family. This is your choice. Is there anyone who has a problem with it?!”_

_The square was quiet for a minute or two, the Don’s eyes roaming the remaining crowds for anyone who might defy him or dare challenge the reign he’d just proclaimed. He was about to continue speaking when there was movement at the front of the crowd._

_The young Ditalini, who had just been crowed the new ruler of the Port of Soba, came forward with his wife Trenette, pausing briefly where Cecelia had been positioned as if she were only sleeping peacefully on the cobblestones. The grief and anguish from her last moments had disappeared in the sweet slumber of death. He bowed his head, paying his respects to the life that was stolen unjustly, then walked up to the Don._

_He cleared his throat a bit timidly. “Sir, my deepest condolences on your unfortunate loss today, but if you don’t mind, I’m not going to take you up on that offer. You see, I believe you’re mistaken, but I’ve just become the new head of Port of Soba. My wife and I, and my son. And a town run by thugs isn’t the kind of town we want to raise our son in.”_

_The Don’s face immediately changed as he jumped down from his post, flattening as he did so and springing back up, holding out his noodle like arms to tell his men to keep back. They’d both hunched forward, about to beat down Ditatlini._

_“Son, you’ve got a thing or two to learn about ‘power’ and ‘ruling,’” the Don sneered, lowering his arms. "If you think people are above being bought and sold, and inheritance is the way that power shifts, then you are WRONG.”_

_Ditalini opened his mouth to speak again only to be backhanded by the Don’s flat arm, a trail of blood appearing on his chin._

_“NOW HEAR THIS, PEOPLE OF SOBA. TRUE POWER MUST BE CLAIMED, MUST BE TAKEN BY FORCE. YOU’VE SEEN WHAT WENT ON HERE TODAY. I SWORE I WOULD NEVER BE POWERLESS AGAIN, BUT SHE’S DEAD. MY WIFE IS DEAD AND I CAN’T BRING HER BACK.”_

_He turned back to Ditatlini, who was trying to look defiant and courageous, but if you looked closely his knees were shaking ever so slightly._

_“Tell me again how you won’t be under my rule. Tell me again how you’d rather die, perhaps? But if you value your life and the lives of your family, you will bow to me here and now. Join my family and swear your allegiance to me and me alone...”_

_His voice was wavering ever so slightly but he didn’t back down, didn’t give in as he met the Don’s steely gaze. “Never.”_

 

oOo

Orzo paused, overcome by emotion as he remembered that time so many, many years ago.

The day he’d lost his son.

He took a shuddering breath as he continued, “He killed Ditalini right then and there….without hesitation, he killed him and then killed Trenette. The entire town saw it…he didn’t want anyone or anything disputing his reign.”

There was a collective gasp from Nami and Usopp, both completely horrified at the Don’s callousness, though they almost felt sorry for him at the same time. It would’ve been one thing, had the Don tried to right his wrongs after his loss and become part of Soba, but instead he had demanded full control and murdered anyone who’d gotten in his way.

Orzo scrubbed at his eyes with a gold colored handkerchief he’d pulled from his jacket pocket and took another deep breath. “He was going to kill Rotini…only five years old, my precious grandson…. I threw myself at his feet, begging for the boy’s life…and the Don would accept no less than complete and total devotion in exchange for him. He demanded my service to him for the rest of my life. I would’ve given anything to save my grandson…so I did.”

“Old man…” Usopp began, his face stricken and eyes moist with barely held back tears. “But…why? Why was he in jail?”

Orzo scoffed, dropping his gaze from the pair. “It was part of our agreement. The Don pretended as if the boy were living high with us in the mansion he demanded be built for him right here where we’re standing. It was somewhat placating to the citizens that he’d at least spare the child and he made it out as if Rotini were a symbol of peace. He even pretended to consider adopting him, making it an announcement...all the while beating Rotini daily in places that his clothes would cover…throwing him into that filthy dungeon night after night…”

Nami covered her mouth in horror.

Orzo lifted his head again. “But he grew tired of the charade. He faked Rotini's death, telling the Soba that he had fallen ill and passed away from the disease. The Don still beats him on a regular basis… I thought this was finally my chance to set him free and make it look like an accident. I’ve never seen this place in such an uproar since the day those marines came…"

There was a pause as he wiped the fresh tears from his eyes. “Any little light in his life, the Don was sure to snuff out. Sometimes….sometimes I wish I’d let him die…and then had let myself die along with him. What kind of life is the life I saved? I feel as if I’m at just as much fault as the Don… Rotini, I hope you’re someplace safe…”

 

oOo

Rotini stared up at the bluer than blue sky, barely noticing the Rigatoni that were trying to herd him back to his prison. He was almost tempted to allow it. The sky was so huge he was afraid he’d fall into it and be lost forever.

He leaned his head back again, taking a deep breath of the clean air. 'Look at me , Capellini, you were right…I’m free…'

Rotini opened his eyes again, gaze roaming the chaos of the courtyard. One by one he saw them, all the people who were fighting for their freedom. And more than anything, he wanted to be one of them, wanted just once…to hit back.

A loud noise from the mansion caught his attention as a boy in a red shirt flew through the wall, bricks and sheet rock exploding from the impact. His neck stretched backward like a giant rubber band and went barreling back through the hole the collision had created, his body running after it.

Rotini shaded his eyes with his hand, staring at the hole. He only knew one man that would be strong enough to do that kind of damage. The same man who’d killed his parents in front of him. The same man who had been beating him daily since he was five years old. The same man who’d killed his only friend just for being his only friend…

He’d imagined it so many times, what he’d do to the Don if he ever got the chance or the courage. He’d spend hours talking about his revenge fantasies with Capellini, never thinking he’d ever really leave that hole of a dungeon. Sometimes he wondered why he went on living at all, but remembered the promise that he’d made to Cappellini before the man’s untimely death at the Don’s hand.

'You’re the only one who ever taught me anything…'

Rotini gripped his fists tightly at his sides. That boy in the red shirt…he must be here for Toshi. He couldn’t let that boy suffer the same fate that he himself had been suffering. Even if it meant he had to die.

'I’m sorry old friend…but today I may be joining you…'

Rotini plowed through the Rigatoni who were failing at their jobs, starting toward the hole in the wall. He’d make the Don pay. For Capellini’s life, for the service he’d forced his grandfather into. For his own stolen life.

And he’d never let the Don touch him or anyone else again.


	9. Falling One by One

**CHAPTER 9: Falling One by One**

* * *

Roronoa Zoro had been fighting one of the Alfredo Family’s Capo, Gemelli, for quite some time now. He was vaguely aware that the stupid love cook had managed to rescue Toshi from the mansion and that the two of them were now knee deep in battles of their own with the other Capo. Gemelli was fast, and the swordsman suspected that she had trained with the stripy bastard he’d fought before, as he saw some similarities in their movements. She was good, too; it was taking a lot to get any kind of hit on her and Zoro noted that they were pretty evenly matched as the fight continued.

He landed in a crouch after yet another attack that Gemelli had parried. The Alfredo family were just as tough as they’d said, worthy of commanding this island.

Zoro noticed out of the corner of his eye that Rotini had begun lumbering back towards the mansion. “No!” He yelled, his words muffled around the sword in his mouth as he pivoted on one foot, about to attempt to bring him back when Gemelli stopped him; in a blur of steel, one of the Capo's twin daggers shot out to block his path. 

"Leaving so soon? I don't think so!" She stepped nimbly in front of him, her face creasing in a scowl. "NOBODY walks away from me, understand?" The last word had barely left her lips when she struck, pivoting into a rapid spin as her blades sang through the air toward his face at an alarming rate.

The swordsman’s eyes widened momentarily and he barely raised up his swords in time to block her assault. He was pushed back by the force of Gemelli’s blow and he smirked in anticipation of continuing the fight with this strong woman. With every battle he fought, his skills would increase. One step closer to being the world’s greatest swordsman. He’d promised Luffy that time back at the Baratie that he’d never lose another fight, and he intended to keep that promise at all costs.

Zoro pushed back against Gemelli’s daggers, crossing his swords and slicing down diagonally, catching her forearms in the process. He noticed, with satisfaction, that a look of pain crossed her face briefly. With a glance over her shoulder, Zoro noticed that Rotini had gotten further into the distance toward the mansion. Well, it looked like he was on his own. Whatever the large man had in mind to pursue, Zoro wished him luck as he flipped the sword in his right hand over his palm, spreading his legs wider in his battle stance. 

“Oi. Is that the best you got?” 

Gemelli leaped backward a few steps, not taking her eyes off the green-haired man even as blood began to trickle down her forearms and coat the handles of her daggers. Her hands tightened around them, face set in a hard glare. The sounds of her comrades fighting nearby reached her ears, but she did not react to their shouting. Her original task was to see to it that Rotini was escorted back to the dungeon...however, she was sure the Don would agree that eliminating this unexpectedly strong pirate was also a priority.

"You're going to wish you hadn't asked me that," she finally retorted, her lips pulling into a smirk despite her best attempt at remaining serious. Her daggers snapped up to the level of her waist and she began to spin them, much like before.

Zoro blinked and she was gone. He grit his teeth around the hilt of the sword in his mouth, sinking into a crouch in anticipation of her next attack. Moments passed and nothing happened. His eyes darted left and then right. What the hell was this woman up to? 

"WHIRLWIND STEP!" Her voice was suddenly blaring in his left ear. The strike happened so quickly that there was hardly time to react. "DUAL FANG!!" With both daggers held by their straps in one hand, Gemelli snapped her arm downward and the weapons sliced through the air, cutting through his flesh as if it were butter. She jumped to the side, avoiding both the spray of blood and Zoro's immediate riposte.

Zoro grunted, having thrust forward after her attack, pivoting on his foot in his failed attempt to parry. His arms were wet with the thick viscous liquid that only continued to ooze out. The blade on the left, he’d noticed, hadn’t had as deep an impact as the other due to the fact that he'd cut the strap of that particular weapon earlier in the fight. He looked up to see her apparent satisfaction with this attack and spit a mouthful of blood into the dust, his stance only wavering slightly. This...this was nothing.

Gemelli chuckled, idly swinging her daggers at her side, though she appeared ready to react at a moment's notice. "Hm, the silent, stoic type, are we? I was at least hoping for a scream or two. Guess I'll have to keep trying!"

Zoro only frowned in response. He heard Chopper yell his name from somewhere behind him, but he was also yelling for Sanji, Robin and Toshi and the swordsman blocked him out. Surely this Gemelli wasn’t as tough as Penne, the Don’s right hand man was. He needed to finish her off so he could go after Rotini.

Gemelli's fingers twitched, grasping the hilts of her daggers, preparing to initiate another attack. Zoro knew he only had seconds to spare and was on the move almost immediately. She was fast, much like the stripy bastard before her. They ran parallel to each other, each looking for an opening the other wouldn’t provide. There was a scream nearby and Zoro saw her eyes dart to the side, where Toshi was fighting Rotelle. He took this as his opportunity to charge. 

Stopping in mid-step, he dashed straight for the Capo. The swords in his hands were pointed directly at her. “USHI BARI!!!” He yelled, throwing his full weight into the twin thrusts that the woman was just barely able to keep from piercing her chest. She skewed the course of the swords only enough for them to pierce one of her shoulders, the other opening a thick cut on the side of her chest. An aura of a large bull seemed to engulf the two fighters as Zoro skidded to the side while Gemelli spun her blade in front of her to attempt to keep him at bay. 

Zoro began a slow circle around her, much like a vulture ready to dive and consume a decaying corpse. He knew she wouldn’t be such easy prey, though he enjoyed the pissed off look on her face that seemed to say ‘How dare you cut me?!’ This woman was clearly used to having the upper hand in a fight. 

Gemelli's chest heaved with exertion. A bead of sweat crawled down the side of her face. She had taken her eyes off the swordsman for that single moment, and it had cost her dearly. Having heard her sister cry out in pain, it was only natural for her to look Rotelle's way. Damn that girl! The Capo clenched her teeth, pain from the previous assault stinging through her body. She did her best to ignore it, her eyes traveling up Zoro's form and surveying the wounds he had sustained. He was already injured from a previous fight, as she had noted before. That shirt had obviously been stained red long before she had arrived. Gemelli would have recognized those slash marks from Penne's sword anywhere...Penne, who was no longer on the battlefield. Had this man standing before her actually managed to defeat the Don's right-hand man? 

The Capo coughed, producing a wet retching sound and specks of blood sprinkled over the broken cobblestone path they stood upon. She gripped her weapons more tightly, regaining her bearings. One foot slid to the side as she sank into an offensive stance. Enough playing around. It was about time to end this fight. The Don would surely require her service soon, and if there was one person she dared not disappoint, it was Don Fettuccine Alfredo.

One whirling dagger came up in front of her, acting as a protective barrier. Gemelli lunged forward an instant later. With the second dagger in her good hand, she leaped to Zoro's left side, where he was ready with an attack that she easy parried with the spinning defensive blade. She back flipped and spun into a landing at his right, and he moved to attack the offensive blade when she abruptly switched the roles of the daggers. The one that had been protecting her was the one she drove deep into his abdomen as she screamed out, "FACADE TWISTER!!"

Zoro doubled over as her dagger pierced him, a thick wet noise echoing as fresh blood gushed forth, his stomach band now torn and drenched in red. Dropping one of his swords, he grabbed her forearm and pushed her back, forcing the blade from his belly, wheezing with the effort.

He slashed at her with the remaining sword, holding his free hand over the open wound, gritting his teeth at the intense pain. She took several stumbling steps backward and it was apparent that she was far more wounded than she was letting on. The wheezing of each breath she took indicated significant lung damage. Surely at this rate, she would not last much longer...

While she was catching her breath, Zoro quickly moved to rip his stomach band. He tied the two broken ends together tightly around his abdomen, his hands becoming coated in his own blood.

"You look like you're bleeding out quite quickly," Gemelli commented, her own voice raspy as she coughed once more, blood dripping down her chin.

Zoro wiped his hands on his pants, sneering as he hurried to reassume his fighting stance. 

It was just a scratch, after all. 

Whatever remained of his blood was now thrumming through his veins. He could hear it as clearly as his own heartbeat and he narrowed his eyes at his opponent, noting how much her movements were costing her thanks to his last attack. 

The swordsman stepped forward, slowly rotating the blades in his hands. He knew he would need to pick up speed in order to finish her off, but he had to get himself moving. He continued to walk toward her, trying to gauge how much the Capo had left in her, leaving a trail of blood behind him. 

"Ready for more, are you?" Gemelli smirked, her face looking a bit strained as she braced herself for the next assault. "Well then, how about we step it up a bit?"

“Hmmm? I guess Toshi’s grandpa did hire some strong goons after all.” Zoro pulled the white sword from his mouth for a moment, a sinister grin spreading across his face that showed bloodstained teeth. He spat another mouthful of blood before securing the white sword once more, his mind flashing briefly to its former owner. If there were an afterlife, he hoped that she could see him right now, and see that he would do whatever it took to keep their promise. 

He fainted to the left, noting the way she flinched and held her daggers again, starting a spin, much weaker than before. He slashed all three swords at her diagonally as they jumped into another set of thrusts and parries. But her movements were becoming sloppy and he felt his foot slip a time or two.

Time was running out. Whatever Rotini was headed for, he was surely already there. Zoro hoped he wasn’t going back to that dank and horrible dungeon...

The clank of sword against dagger was near deafening as the two blade wielders threw all their strength into defeating each other. Zoro for Toshi’s freedom, Gemelli for her loyalty to the family she'd joined. The swordsman wondered if it was really worth it; this so-called 'family' seemed like just another bunch of assholes to him. 

After yet another clash of metal, he jumped back, leaving a wide berth between himself and the Capo. He turned and began running in the other direction, not oblivious to her cackles and taunts of his apparent cowardice and inability to see a fight through to the finish. 

“Heh.” He turned on a dime. His arms went up in a wide arc over his head and he crossed his swords in front of him, hunching forward slightly. He launched into a full-on run. She was quick, but he had to be quicker. 

She disappeared momentarily and he could hear her buzzing like an incessant fly just near him. He felt his insides lurch due to all the jostling of his wound his movements caused and cringed. He stopped for only a split second, but that was just enough time for Gemelli to land a hit to the side of his face. 

“HURK!” Zoro paused only momentarily before he slashed with the sword in his mouth, blasting her back long enough for him to complete his attack. 

“TWOFOLD ONIGIRI!” 

Zoro’s swords crossed and uncrossed as he practically flew at his opponent. After the first slash connected, he spun and dashed again. An identical diagonal slash followed up the last. 

Gemelli stumbled backward from the force of the first attack, instinctively shielding herself with her daggers. But her arms were weak now and they began to buckle beneath the weight of his slash. Her eyes widened in real fear the moment she realized he was taking a page from her own book and implementing a dual attack of his own...she sucked in a breath, moving to protect herself with her blades.

Too late. 

Slow to recover, Gemelli only managed to take one single step to the side when the second slash ripped across her body, devouring flesh and splintering bones. Blood spilled, coating her clothing, splashing onto the disorderly walkway, spurting into the air. She was still trying to orchestrate a counterattack in her mind even as she fell over backward, her daggers flying from her loosened grip and scattering across the ground on either side of her.

Gemelli's back collided with the broken ground, sending a large cloud of dust up into the air around her. She had lost the battle. Defeated by this pirate swordsman. What would become of her now? She inhaled as deeply as was possible, breathing with difficulty due to the puncture wound in one of her lungs. 

It was over. She found herself staring up at the blue sky and the fluffy white clouds that it encompassed, drifting by like misshapen vessels on a calm sea. She struggled to inhale another wheezy breath of oxygen, vaguely aware of a red warmth spreading out at her sides.

Zoro's haggard form appeared above her, and she tried to blink the blur from his face. With nearly all she could muster, she cackled weakly. "Well...what are you waiting for? You need to finish me off..." She gasped for another breath. "I've disgraced the Don by losing to you...he will kill me anyway..."

Zoro stared down at her, seeing her now not only as an enemy but as a person filled with desperation. He considered her request for a moment, thinking that any death he would give her would be more honorable and kind than whatever the Don did to those who’d failed him. From the way she was talking now, he imagined it would be incredibly cruel, and something that probably happened often. 

However…she’d been a worthy opponent, and he didn’t like to see that kind of potential wasted. Hadn’t he been spared in the same manner by Dracule Mihawk? He’d consider himself a disgrace to the name of swordsman if he didn’t afford her the same measure of mercy.

“No….that’s…that’s not going to happen….” Zoro fell to one knee, supporting the rest of his weight upon the handle of Wado Ichimonji.

Gemelli’s eyes seemed to widen in that moment though her gaze wavered as her eyes filled with unshed tears. Mercy was something she had not expected from a pirate.

“You need to get away from this place…from these people. Our…our captain, he’s fighting for Toshi’s freedom. When he wins….you’ll have your freedom too…”

"Freedom..." Gemelli rasped, a small smile on her lips. He seemed so confident. "What must that be like, I wonder...?" Her eyes went back to the sky, feeling soothed by it despite the cacophony of battle all around them. She didn't dare believe that the Don would lose...serving the Alfredo family was the only life she had ever known. Chosen for both her and her twin sister Rotelle before they had even been born. Perhaps it was not what she'd wanted, but she had never dared question her parents. On the Port of Soba, you did what the Don told you to do and that was all there was to it. 

Her eyes slid shut and she reveled in the feeling of the sun's rays on her skin. Perhaps she would die right here. Couldn't one also achieve freedom in death?

Zoro’s vision began to swim as he felt a pang wrack through his body from the wound in his abdomen. He choked, coughing up another mouthful of blood as his hands slipped away from the sword and he collapsed onto the ground near Gemelli, their blood mingling in the rocks and dust. 

“Chopper…” He managed to get out before slipping into unconsciousness.

oOo

The Doctor and the Archaeologist were doing well against the myriad of Rigatoni that continued to come at them from all sides. For awhile the hordes of black clad men and women seemed to be endless, a testament to just how far the Don’s reach went through this island and its people.

Chopper was feeling so manly over the amount of foes he’d been able to defeat and he couldn’t wait to tell Luffy about it, knowing his Captain was going to be so proud of him, that asshole!

‘Luffy…’ He thought with a gaze toward the mansion, the side of which now sported an enormous hole. He’d seen the boy fly through it earlier, though Luffy hadn’t seemed too badly injured at the time. Whatever the outcome, Chopper would be ready to administer first aid to all his nakama. He pounded his fists together with determination, still in his heavy point form.

Robin and Chopper were continuing their game of punch and carry. Robin’s hands were literally full, tossing dozens of men and women in the fountain with her trail of arms. But the fountain was soon full to the brim and those who hadn’t lost consciousness were climbing out and helping their comrades out of the cold water.

“That crazy gorilla man!” One sopping wet Rigatoni pointed an accusing finger as he rallied some of his comrades behind him. “WE NEED TO TAKE HIM DOWN!”

“YEAAAAAH!” 

They began the charge and Chopper pulled out a rumble ball, crunching into it as he growled, “RUMBLE!” He gritted his teeth in preparation for his transformation and held his arms up, throwing his head back as he yelled, “I’M NOT A GORLLIA I’M A REINDEER!!!” 

“JUMPING POINT!” Chopper morphed into another humanoid form, his legs and arms elongated as he dashed up into the sky just before the Rigatoni had reached him. “Hehe…”

The black suits ran past the spot he’d just been standing and the doctor pivoted in midair, positioning himself for his next attack, his arms facing down as he morphed again. “ARM POINT!”

His face changed back to a reindeer form, but his biceps grew larger and his battle cry resounded as he dove for the group of Rigatoni, each arm held out. “KOKUTEI ROSEO!” 

BAM! BAM!

Direct hits landed to the faces of two Rigatoni almost simultaneously, leaving them imprinted with sakura-shaped indents. 

Chopper wheeled on his feet, large arms still held up as he punched several more opponents with the kokutei roseos, grinning with satisfaction at the sakura shapes he left behind and the men and women who toppled over like bowling pins. 

The doctor took just a split second then to think back to that time...one of the happiest times of his life, with Hiruluk; the man who’d taught him, embraced him, inspired him to become a pirate. 

“OHHHH!!! LOOK AT ME, DOCTOR!!!” He yelled towards the sky, grinning as he closed his eyes for just a second.

“DOCTOR-SAN!” Robin’s voice came from behind him, urgency filling her tone.

Chopper looked down, but was engulfed by the rest of the group of Rigatoni as they piled on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

The doctor almost panicked at the heavy weight that was holding him down, his face smashed against the cobblestones... Then he grinned, shrinking down to his brain point size, satisfied at the alarmed shouting that surrounded him as he morphed into another form. 

“HORN POINT!”

Giant horns sprouted where they’d once been small, scooping up several of the Rigatoni as Chopper stood back to his full height, still yelling his battles cries with resolve. “OHHHH!!!!” He spun, tossing those that were caught up in his horns. Then he crouched down, charging like a bull at another group of foes that had gathered to face him, barreling through them and knocking them down as Robin grinned.

The archeologist pinned many of these fallen foes to the ground with newly sprouted arms. 

“VEINTE FLEUR!”

“HEY! LET US GO, YOU WITCH!”

“It’s…it’s her!” One man’s voice rang out. “I RECOGNIZE HER FROM HER WANTED POSTER! SHE’S THE CHILD OF THE DEVIL, NICO ROBIN!”

Robin’s grin ceased to reach her eyes as she clapped a hand over the mouth of the man who was screaming. “How rude…” She released his mouth and grew three other arms beside the first one. “SLAP!” Open palms began slapping him until his face was bruised and bloody.

“I’VE GOT HER!” A female Rigatoni had jumped onto Robin’s back while she was distracted, wrapping her arms and legs round Robin’s torso. 

There was laughter as several more Rigatoni began to advance on her, pulling out knives and daggers as they did so. 

Robin’s eyes widened for only a brief second. “TREINTA FLEUR!” she announced, growing two arms on each of the shoulders of the group that were attacking. “CHOKE!” She announced as the hands grabbed at the throats of the Rigatoni and began squeezing. 

Robin closed her eyes again, chuckling, releasing her arms with a rain of flower petals as the Rigatoni lost consciousness one by one. 

But there was still a monkey on her back, and said monkey had just pulled out a knife and was holding it to her throat. 

“D-don’t move, Nico Robin!” The Rigatoni’s voice wavered a little and Robin could feel her trembling ever so slightly at the thought of being so near to her. 

“UN FLEUR!” 

An arm grew on the Rigatoni’s back and tossed her onto the ground behind Robin. The former Miss All Sunday turned to face the girl, pinning her down with several sets of arms that lay over every foot over the woman’s body, clucking her tongue at the small cut the girl had managed to make on her neck. “BURY!!!!” 

Robin clenched her fists and pulled, pushing the woman several inches into the dirt.

Chopper whooped with joy as he noted all the foes they’d managed to down. His rumble ball was just now wearing off and he slowly morphed back into his brain point form, his large horns changing back to the familiar small ones, one of which held a permanent metal bandage.

“Nice work, Doctor-san.” Robin praised the small reindeer and he began wiggling back and forth, his arms waving like noodles as he grinned.

“That doesn’t make me happy at all, YOU ASSHOLE!” 

Robin smiled as she watched him a few more moments, but their happy moment was broken when they both heard Zoro’s hoarse voice calling out for Chopper. 

“Doctor-san!” Robin finally uncrossed her arms from in front of her as she gaze down at the reindeer with worry.

His eyes widened. “ZORO!!!” He yelled as his eyes scanned the battlefield, finally falling on the downed man who was practically coated in his own blood.

The doctor scrambled to the swordsman’s side and began fussing over him. “OI ZORO! YOU’RE TOO RECKLESS! THESE WOUNDS ARE SERIOUS! YOU COULD’VE DIED!” He began tossing out numerous first aid supplies from his backpack as he prepared to treat him. 

Zoro’s eyes flickered open as he fought to regain consciousness. The blackness was so near and he longed to just fall into it. 

“No…” he whispered hoarsely, lolling his head to the side as he couldn’t move his arms, trying to gesture to the motionless woman who lay only a few feet away. “Treat…treat her first…”

“Zoro, you…” Chopper looked over at the woman. Her chest was moving with erratic bursts. She seemed to be in even worse shape than the swordsman. But…wasn’t she his enemy? Chopper shook his head to clear his mind as he remembered, enemy or not, he was a doctor and it was his sworn duty to care for injured people no matter who they were. 

“Okay! Robin! Keep him safe!” Chopper moved over to Gemelli and began treating her wounds, not noticing the tiny smile that passed over Zoro’s face as he lost consciousness again. 

Robin stood in front of them, crossing her arms once more, preparing to fend off any foes that tried to come near during the treatment. She wouldn’t let anything happen to them. 

‘Luffy...’ She thought. ‘Please hurry…’

oOo

Sanji leaped backward, dancing around the whip's incessant slashes as each strike pierced the ground around his feet. One hand covered the gaping cut across his chest, the front of his shirt long since soaked. It cooled now as the wound began to clot. Pici did not let up for a second. He grinned as he sent the tail of his whip screeching straight for the chef's neck.

"Tch!" Sanji scoffed as he dropped to the ground instantly. The whip flew over his head, the breeze it created tousling his blond hair. He took the opening, catapulting off one hand and sending his body hurtling through the air. "EPAULE SHOOT!!" He shouted out as he spun, his heel coming down hard to connect with Pici's shoulder.

Pici was knocked off balance, sprawling sideways into the dirt and rolling a few times before he got his legs under him and managed to skid to a stop. He adjusted his sunglasses with one hand, gripping the whip more tightly with the other.

At that moment, there was a shrill cry from where Rotelle and Toshi were having it out about twenty yards away. Rotelle hit the ground and there was a sharp intake of breath from Pici's lips. He moved to stand with one hand outstretched, but Sanji's voice rang out first and completely eclipsed Pici's own attempt to come to Rotelle's defense.

"OI!! TOSHI! You don't need to go that far!" He shouted to the Don's heir, frowning in displeasure at the thought of the lovely Rotelle becoming injured by the hands of a man who really ought to know better.

There was an ear-splitting crack and Sanji was sent staggering forward. He fell to his knees, trembling fingers grasping at dirt as pain racked his body once more. He had no time to evaluate the damage, however, because the moment he realized what had happened was the moment his ears detected the shriek of a second assault. He pushed himself off the ground, quickly dodging the blow, landing in a roll that nearly halted him when his shredded back hit the ground. 

No...no time to worry about pain. Sanji had lost the offensive in that fleeting moment he'd expressed concern for Rotelle's safety. If he stopped moving now, he would surely perish.

Pici laughed harshly, perhaps enjoying Sanji's struggle more than he should have. "That's what you get for worrying about someone else's fight!" He taunted the chef as the whip bit the ground several times in succession in an attempt to bring him down once more.

"At least I can call myself a real man," Sanji retorted as he flipped out of the way. 

"HAH!" Pici leaped forward, closing the distance between the two of them. "And what the hell kind of man are you, anyway? A man who gets distracted during a fight?!" 

Sanji grunted, barely dodging the next attack. "No, you shitty ponytail! A man willing to stand up for a woman, no matter the circumstances!" While the whip was outstretched, he sent his body careening forward, taking the opportunity given to him. "POITRINE!!" The chef drove his heel into Pici's chest. There was a loud crack and the Capo was sent toppling over backward into the debris of what used to be one of the statues in the Don's courtyard.

"Besides," Sanji continued, his eyes following Pici's movements carefully as the other man sat up, wincing at the fractured ribs he had no doubt sustained, "even with those sunglasses on, I can see the way you look at Rotelle-chan. You were also worried, but here you are, not doing a damn thing about it! Sign of a real coward if you ask me!"

Pici growled, jumping to his feet. "Mind your own damn business, pirate!" The whip snapped back with a twitch of his wrist as if it were an extension of his own hand. "Even if that were true, I wouldn't discuss such matters with the likes of you! Pirate trash!" He flicked the whip horizontally, the coiled tip racing for Sanji's own ribcage, but the chef was quick despite being injured. He leaped up high, his long legs tucked beneath him, easily avoiding the stretch of leather as it zoomed past.

"That's fine," Sanji said as he landed on the whip before Pici could retract it. "Rotelle-chan deserves much better than a dolt like you, anyway, doesn't she?" Sanji slipped his free foot beneath the hardened leather, jerking upward harshly and causing Pici to lurch forward from the force of the motion. Dashing for the Capo, he dropped to the ground suddenly and twisted himself into a sweeping kick. "GIGOT!" The force with which Pici's kneecaps were struck resulted in the Capo flying upward, unable to stop himself. Sanji followed him closely, following up with a second attack as he shot one leg forward while the other went backward, gaining momentum for the blow. "BASSE COTE!!"

Pici screamed out as pain exploded in his shoulder and then in the back of his head as he crashed unceremoniously onto the hard ground below, sharp rubble digging into his back. He was slower to get up that time, panting with exertion. The fall had only exacerbated the cracked ribs he'd suffered a few minutes earlier. One hand covered the shoulder that had taken the hit, discovering that it had in fact been dislocated. 

Sanji straightened, wavering on his feet a bit. He could feel a wet warmth trickling down his back, soaking into the waist of his dark slacks. The chef took the time he had now to reach into his pocket, retrieving a pack of cigarettes. He scoffed softly upon seeing that he was running low...only a couple left. He lit it quickly and allowed himself a drag, studying Pici carefully as the larger man pushed himself to his knees. "Aren't you going to be a good boy and stay the hell down?"

Pici sneered up at the chef, eyeing his shredded blue shirt. "Shut your mouth, you disgusting sea dog! Don't be so arrogant as to think that a piece of shit like you could actually defeat me! I'm one of Don Fettuccine Alfredo's esteemed Capo, trained since the day I could walk to--" Suddenly his teeth became razor sharp, noticing that Sanji was not only ignoring him but also staring rather dreamily in Rotelle's direction. "OI!! KEEP YOUR EYES RIGHT HERE, YOU SCOUNDREL!!" 

But Pici's expression morphed into horror when he followed Sanji's gaze, suddenly watching Rotelle take a brutal strike to the face via Toshi's nunchaku. His fists clenched at his sides, the sight igniting a fiery rage that burned through his veins in an instant. Rotelle's pretty face, marred by a hideous purple bruise across her cheek...

Without thinking, Pici was dashing forward. Barreling down the stretch of courtyard to where his fellow Capo was struggling to regain the upper hand. She needed him, he thought to himself, drawing back his whip. Ignoring the pain blazing through one side of his body, Pici used every ounce of his strength to send the dense whip screaming toward an unsuspecting Toshi.

The Don would be angry. Pici would be killed for this. But in that moment, he did not care. He didn't even think about the consequences that would ensue from this act. He followed through, his body nearly grazing over the ground from the sheer momentum of the shot. He watched. Waited for the whip to connect, to rip the heir apart...

But it never happened. Someone appeared directly in Pici's line of fire a split second before the whip could shred its intended target, the impact causing an ear-splitting crack that resounded throughout the vicinity.

Pici gritted his teeth, partially against the throbbing all over his injured body from the effort his attack had required and partially in anger. "You!!"

Sanji only smirked, his lips clamped shut. He didn't dare open his mouth at that moment, lest a scream escape. The caught whip was coiled tightly around one of his outstretched legs, digging into the flesh of his calf, and he clenched his fists tightly against the scorching pain that seemed to travel from his leg to all over his body at once. Blood seeped from beneath his tattered pant leg, trickling down his shiny black shoe to form a small puddle beneath him.

The heads of the other fighters whipped in the direction of the loud cracking noise, they had been so engrossed in their own fight that they hadn’t even noticed the blur of motion that had been barreling towards them.

“PICI!” Rotelle shrieked at the same time that Toshi yelled, “SANJI!”

Pici glowered at his opponent, whip still wrapped snugly around the chef's lacerated leg. "Pay attention to your own fight and stop losing! You're humiliating yourself," he remarked coldly.

Rotelle’s lower lip jutted out, wavering slightly as she noted how beat up her fellow Capo was...but he was also right, and she had to trust him to finish this fight. He’d live…he’d definitely live and then she’d—

“SANJI, KICK HIS ASS!” Toshi yelled as she turned back to Rotelle.

"You don't have to tell me that," Sanji retorted, though he sounded a bit strained. As Toshi and Rotelle went back to their fight, he leveled a dangerous look at the sunglasses-clad Capo. "Don't forget, your opponent here is me. I wouldn't take my eyes off a guy like me, if I were you." 

Pici snarled back, giving the thick leather weapon a harsh yank and sending the pirate soaring straight over his head. Sanji quickly reached the end of the whip's length, though rather than allowing the whip to unwind from around his calf, he kicked back with his good leg and forward with the other, twisting his body sideways to create extra force. 

"BASSE COTE!!" Sanji shouted out. It was the same attack from earlier, only this time he was using it to send Pici airborne. It happened so fast that the Capo didn't even have time to drop the whip before he was snapped into the air. Before he could even blink, he was flailing past Sanji's own falling body.

Except Sanji was ready for him. "Didn't I just tell you not to take your eyes off me?" The chef grinned around his cigarette, even though he knew this next maneuver would cost him. Using the whip to pull himself into a rapid series of flips, Sanji picked up speed until finally his outstretched leg was driven downward in a devastating blow to Pici's skull. "CONCASSE!!!" He shouted out, his face a mask of pain as every wound he'd sustained that day complained at the force of impact.

The sunglasses were kicked clean off Pici's face, though the rest of the world never got a good look at him because he was gone in an instant, carried off by the momentum of the pirate chef's finishing shot.

"AAARRRGH!!!" Pici was tossed about like a ragdoll in mid-flight, his world nothing but a multicolored blur as he sailed all the way across the courtyard. He smashed directly into the statue of the Don himself, causing the stone replica to crack and crumble at the point of impact. Pici fell limply into the remainder of the fountain. Water soaked his bloodied clothing, cooling his wounds and drowning out the sounds of his companions' shouts. He tried to push himself up, but his head was spinning and his body was useless. A moment later, he finally ceased to struggle as he faded into unconsciousness.

On the other side of the courtyard, Sanji landed on his feet, though not nearly as cleanly as he normally would have. He flinched, his right leg searing still from the sting of the whip, which happened to land on the ground beside him shortly afterward. Swaying a bit on his feet, Sanji watched Pici's still form for a moment before his legs finally buckled beneath him.

"Luffy," he said as he stared listlessly up at the sky, "it's up to you now..." With that, Sanji allowed himself to fall over onto the dirt, completely exhausted.


	10. End This War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you've been reading, please go back and read chapter 7 again, I accidentally posted chapter 8 twice and then ended up missing alot of the action that concludes in the two chapters I posted today! My apologies!

* * *

Rotelle was rubbing at her swollen cheek, her lips jutting out in displeasure while Toshi swung his nunchaku high above his head, the whipping noise it made the only sound between them.

The Capo sneered. “I decided I DON’T like you after, all Don Toshi!”

“Tell someone who give a damn…” Toshi leapt forward, faking left then attacking from the right with a diagonal strike.

Rotelle raised her circular weapon, knocking Toshi’s nunchaku off its course. There was a loud sound of metal scraping against wood and Toshi's weapon was nearly pulled from his grasp. Rotelle jumped into a crouch, springing at Toshi and catching him off guard as he fumbled for purchase on his weapon, knocking him over onto his rear. She seemed to disappear for a moment as Toshi scrambled to his feet, whipping his head from left to right trying to locate the girl.

Her voice was suddenly in his ear, low and purring. “I’m…right…HERE!” She grabbed Toshi around the neck, pressing the circular weapon against his throat, the sharp edges cutting him as thin lines of blood began to run down his neck.

Toshi made a choking sound. It was hard to move in a way that wouldn’t open up his neck even further and Rotelle continued to chuckle in his ear. 

His breath came in short gasps as Rotelle cut slightly deeper and deeper. “Oh don’t worry, I won’t go for the jugular. The Don would have my head on a silver platter if I actually killed you! I’m just playing with you, Don Toshi.”

‘How arrogant...’ Toshi thought. 'Just like everyone in this damn place.' He wished more than anything that Farfalle was here with him now, encouraging him as he always did when Toshi had sparred with Penne. The pain of losing him was still so fresh, Toshi felt a pang go through his whole body as the scene of his Uncle’s death replayed in slow motion through his mind. Would Farfalle have been a part of this? A part of his friends being treated like criminals as he was forced into a life he hadn’t chosen, hadn’t even known about until today? 

“No…” Toshi rasped, gripping the handles of his nunchaku tighter as he slowly slid his hand into the right position. “NO!” He yelled again, as he raised his arm over his head and smashed the metal edges against Rotelle’s head as hard as he could.

She screamed. Her hat flew off of her head and a gash opened up, gushing fresh blood. She clutched at it, accidentally making it worse when her own weapons scraped against it. 

Toshi jumped back, gingerly rubbing his neck and came away with a handful of blood. He tucked one end of the nunchaku under his arm and held his other hand defensively, palm-out. 

The Capo was livid now. Blood seeped from her wound, trickling down the side of her face and coating half of it in crimson, giving her an eerie look. “I’m done PLAYING, DON TOSHI!” Rotelle leapt with the grace of a ballerina, spinning slowly in midair as if she were putting on a show.

“Great, they hired the circus for my birthday party.” Toshi shook his head. It seemed like so many of these guys here were seriously into pageantry with their crazy outfits and altogether strange fighting techniques. Rotelle was by far the weirdest woman he’d ever encountered as well...not that he’d ever known very many. 

“Oh, you like it right? My wheel spins always dazzle everyone!” She jumped higher, whirling three times in the air before she landed this time. 

Toshi found himself unable to look away as Rotelle continued jumping and spinning. His grip slackened on his nunchaku, his mouth dropping open. Her ridiculous dancing seemed to have a hypnotic effect…

“Yes…you’re getting it now, Don Toshi!” She jumped and spun closer and closer until she was right in front of Toshi, then jumped up again, scissoring her legs around Toshi’s neck. “DEATH ROLL!!!!!” 

Rotelle clutched her legs tightly around Toshi’s neck, throwing them both over onto the ground as she spun. 

Toshi began coughing as all the dust blew up around him and he was unable to find equilibrium in the incessant rolling motion he was caught in. His nunchaku slipped out of his grasp as he struggled to pry Rotelle off of him. She just continued to spin and spin, thrashing like a wild alligator, blood and dust mingling.

His eyes burned from all the dust and he yanked at the legs locked around him, trying free himself from her grasp. He felt something beneath him with the next roll. Cold metal...it was his nunchaku!

Toshi grabbed it by the chain through the next roll, still sputtering and wheezing in an attempt to keep all the dust out of his mouth. 

“Had enough yet?!” Came the shrill voice of the Capo.

He was impressed at how long Rotelle was able to keep this up without losing her lunch, as he was now feeling queasy himself. 

She slowed for a brief moment and Toshi took the opening. He whipped his reclaimed nunchaku up against her face. “ASSAULTO VELOCE!” Toshi straight-striked at her like a man gone mad. His nunchaku shot out like a mechanical hammer, striking the Capo over and over until she was forced to release him.

The two fighters rolled away from each other and quickly scrambled to their feet. Rotelle raised her fists and Toshi held his nunchaku out, a stick in each hand. 

Toshi swayed on his feet, shaking his head that had become rather light from all the rolling.

“So, how are you enjoying ‘the circus?'” Rotelle sneered. That would teach him to mock her beautiful and deadly fighting style!

“Eh…too many CLOWNS for my taste.” Toshi stuck a finger in his ear.

Rotelle fumed. “I’ll teach you to call ME a clown!” She bashed her two circular brass knuckles together a few times, causing sparks to fly from of them.

“I dunno, your boyfriend had a point about you strutting like a peacock you know.” Toshi pulled his finger out of his ear. “And then he came over here trying to defend you like a knight in shining armor, man that was just seriously romantic.”

Rotelle colored bright red and she scrunched her face up as she screamed, “HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!”

Toshi grinned. Seemed like he’d hit a sore spot. “It’s just too damn bad Sanji’s going to kick his ass into next week, then you guys’ll never get married!” He taunted and started body wrapping his nunchaku, avoiding his neck where Rotelle had cut him earlier. 

“Look who’s a circus act now!” She scoffed, really tired of Toshi’s mockery of what she considered to be a beautiful fighting style.

Toshi whipped the nunchaku across his shoulders, over his waist, switching it from hand to hand behind his back, then up over his arms, changing hands as he whipped the sticks over his shoulders. He wrapped it back up his body and into a helicopter spin once again, holding out his free hand palm-up and gesturing for Rotelle to come at him.

She narrowed her eyes and ran at him without hesitation. The two fighters clashed together again and again, wood against metal. Rotelle swung hard at Toshi, her movements becoming sloppier in her frustration. Toshi bent backward a fraction of a second from being hammered in the face. He swung his leg out to the side, slamming a kick against her ribcage, bending back completely over and pushing himself off the ground with his free hand.

Rotelle fell to her knees, coughing up a mouthful of blood. She angrily wiped it on her sleeve and glared up at Toshi, who was walking slowly toward her, holding a stick in each hand. 

Toshi lunged for her but she was on her feet in a flash, jumping backward and up into another of her wheel spins. He looked around but there was nothing near enough to use as leverage for a higher jump. He watched her as she began the elaborate dance, twirling in the air like some crazy ballerina. Toshi shut his eyes tightly so he wouldn’t become hypnotized again.

“Don Toshi…” Rotelle’s voice was husky and he could hear her movements getting nearer and nearer. “Don Toshi…didn’t your uncles teach you the first rule of fighting? NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOUR OPPONENT!” 

SLAM! 

Toshi took a direct hit to the face with Rotelle’s circular brass knuckle, a searing pain flashing through him. He’d taken so many hits to the face today already and a fresh trail of blood now adorned the left side of his face from the ragged gash. But that hit was all he needed to get Rotelle to stop her ridiculous wheel spins. He skidded backward a few feet through the dust, geta sandals leaving neat lines as Rotelle flitted back over to him.

He held his cheek and coughed. “Rotelle…wait until my grandpa hears about this. I think YOU’LL be the one who’s going to be demoted, not your boyfriend.”

Rotelle stomped her foot. “DON TOSHI, HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND! AND YOU WOULDN’T.”

Toshi dropped his hand from his face as Rotelle stomped closer and closer to him. She was two feet away when he looked up. “WOULDN’T I?!”

Rotelle opened her mouth to answer when--

“RIPERCUSSIONE!!!”

Her eyes widened as Toshi flipped his nunchaku around her neck, crossing the sticks and twisting, bruising her windpipe. He loosened his for a split second grip only to pull her towards him with the chain and head butt her.

She stumbled backward, clutching at her neck, but Toshi grabbed her again, securing an arm around her shoulders as he whipped her across the back over and over.

Rotelle’s legs buckled beneath her and she crumbled to the ground. “Don Toshi…” 

“I never want to be called Don Toshi. That ain’t my style. I’m leaving this place if it’s the last thing I do.” Toshi turned on his heel to walk away from her. He was going to see about Sanji, who’d taken quite a beating from Pici’s whip. That's when Rotelle lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his ankles, her circular weapons opening up even more wounds.

“I WON’T LOSE A FIGHT!” She rasped as she pulled, cutting into Toshi’s legs.

Toshi bent over backward, letting himself fall and slamming his elbow hard into Rotelle’s back. She shrieked as Toshi rolled over to the side and up onto his feet. 

Rotelle managed to pull herself upright, dusting off her shorts as she ran at him in a mad final dash, leaping into the air in an attempt to pull Toshi into a finishing death roll.

“FRUSTA JUMP!” Toshi did a spinning leap of his own, turning out of the way of Rotelle’s attack just in time as his nunchaku cracked across her back, sending her sprawling into the dust face first. 

He completed the turn and landed, his ankles shaking as the blood continued to drip down to make small puddles in the dust. With great effort, he turned to see what had become of his opponent.

Rotelle struggled to push herself off the ground, arms shaking, but after several attempts and failures she collapsed back into the dust and lost consciousness.

Toshi took a halting step forward toward where he had seen Sanji fall, but his footing gave way and he collapsed onto his back, breathing hard. Despite the intense pain that he felt throughout his….entire body…Toshi grinned up at the blue sky, never having felt more alive. 

He reached into his jacket, pulling out the last flask that was left and drained the whole thing in one gulp.

“Uncle Farfalle,” he whispered up to the heavens, “I did it…I’m going to be free!”

oOo

Luffy’s head met his neck once more with a loud ‘boing’ as he re-entered the mostly-destroyed grand ballroom. “I’M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!!!” He ran at full speed and threw himself at the Don, who immediately flattened and dodged Luffy’s attack by millimeters.

A sinister chuckled escaped the man’s flat lips. “It’s like you’re stuck on repeat, boy! You’ve been threatening to kick my ass since we met, yet I remain unscathed! You should just accept your death quietly, it’ll be better for everyone…”

“RAAAAAAAAAR!!!” Luffy spun around and sprang at the Don, teeth out, trying to sink them into him anywhere he could. His arms elongated in an attempt to trap the man. 

The Don winced slightly as Luffy’s teeth met his shoulder, but his expression immediately turned into a smirk. “I’ll say one thing for you, your death will be remembered at least.” The boy continued to gnaw on him, wrapping his arms and legs around the Don, mimicking his earlier attack with his Gomu Gomu powers. 

The Don sighed as he flattened himself and sunk to the floor, slipping completely out of Luffy’s grasp. The boy tumbled over onto the floor in a mess of stretched limbs that quickly popped themselves back into place.

The older man reached into his pants pockets, pulling out twin revolvers. He cocked them simultaneously. “It’s been fun kid, but I think we’re done for now.” 

Luffy’s face split into a wide grin, obviously the Don didn’t realize what he was up against if he was resorting to using guns.

“What’s with that smile, boy!” The Don growled, “You’re more eager to die than I thought!”  
He opened fire, one at a time in rapid succession, shooting them first from his right then from his left at the boy until both chambers were empty. 

Luffy never budged, his eyes practically glowing red as the smoke from the guns filled the vicinity. He took all the bullets head on. They stretched out his body to the limit, pieces of flesh bulging outward from the bullets’ impact, ranging from his neck all the way down to his calves.

“Hehe…” Luffy snickered as he stood up straighter than before, head thrown back, arms held triumphantly outward as he threw all the bullets back at the Don with a loud ‘SPROING!'

The Don had a split second to react, his face becoming angry rather than smug. “DAMN!” He cursed and dropped to the floor, creating a human puddle. 

The bullets flew past the place he’d been standing and out of the gaping hole his earlier attack had created with Luffy’s body. Luffy whooped and skidded across the hardwood floor, one of his sandals catching the Don before he was able to rise back up and reform. 

“HRNNGH!!!” Luffy pushed down with all his might on the Don’s flat chest. He twisted his foot as he did so, until the Don slipped out from under him like a rug and sent Luffy sprawling backward onto the ground, bouncing on his rear like a giant rubber ball. 

Luffy stood back up, rubbing his behind and growling loudly. “DAMMMIIIIIIITTT!!!!” He ran at the mafia boss, fists flying. “GOMU GOMU NO GATLING!!!”

The Don blew in the wind that Luffy’s fists had created, expertly dodging each one until the rubber man was forced to stop. His chest heaving from exertion, the pirate reached his arms up behind him. He grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be the last table that had survived the fight. Dishes and glasses went crashing to the floor, metal utensils clattering like miniature bells as he hurled it over his head toward the Don. 

Raucous laughter was the only thing that met Luffy’s ears as the table flew past the Don and crashed into a couple of the others that had already been overturned. There was the sound of splintering wood among the laughter and the Don began to flatten his hands again. He held them out like a toy monkey as he jumped into the air, flattening the rest of his body and sailing down to engulf Luffy, crashing the boy’s head between his hands once more. 

Luffy reeled from the blow, coughing up blood. The Don flatted himself into one long strip, wrapping himself completely around Luffy and then began rolling toward all the broken glass that Luffy’s earlier attack had created on the floor.

“NOODLE WHIP!” the Don immediately unrolled himself from Luffy, sending the boy flying face first into the piles of glass. His own body made a loud cracking sound as he stood back up, dusting his hands off. 

Luffy screamed in pain. He blocked his face with his arms as the shards cut into his skin. He rolled over onto his back and sat up, yanking out a particularly large piece of glass that had become imbedded in his leg as he stood. Blood dripped from the jagged edge of the white porcelain onto the floor. He threw it aside and wiped the trail of blood from his mouth onto his arm. 

Angry, Luffy yelled as loudly as he could, throwing his head back, holding his arms up. He was frustrated beyond belief at how slippery this old man was. The chandeliers began to sway with the intensity his vocal chords were producing. He wouldn’t give up no matter what. He’d fight until his body refused to move. For Toshi’s freedom. And he’d win. 

The Don clapped his hands. “I have to hand it to you, you’ve lasted far longer than most who dare go up against me. I’m almost tempted to keep you around for my own amusement... But no longer.” His eyes narrowed as he dropped back down to the floor, slithering towards Luffy where he wrapped himself around the boy’s ankles.

“RAR!” Luffy immediately pushed against the pressure, spreading his legs wider so the Don wouldn’t be able to trap him again. “RRRRRRNNNGH!!!” He pushed with all his might, but the Don pushed back and it was only so long before Luffy's legs were pushed together with a loud snap. The Don wound himself around Luffy like a boa constrictor. 

“This is my favorite way to kill, boy…soon you’ll be just another notch in my belt of fools who thought they stood a chance against me!”

Luffy continued to struggle. He writhed like a worm in the Don’s increasingly tight grasp. The Don had done this to him before, but Luffy had been able to escape the last time. The tightening…it was faster this time, more insistent. His breath began to come in short gasps as it was squeezed from his lungs, which were allowed no room to take in more. 

Luffy choked. He felt his insides compressing. He coughed up yet another mouthful of blood, starting to feel as if his skin was being stretched taut, all his blood gradually moving up to his head. 

“I’m going to pop you like a giant rubber balloon, you bastard!” The Don’s voice became even more gravelly and low as he squeezed Luffy almost to the point of death. He held back only a little so he could enjoy the pathetic squeaking sounds his foe was making before his head exploded. 

The Don had had just about enough. He was about to make the final squeeze when a large familiar shadow darkened the hole in the wall, all but blotting out the bright sun. 

That mountain of a man, his personal prisoner Rotini, ducked his head to enter the room. His eyes widening slightly at all the mayhem. The man was clearly on edge, but his shoulders lowered when a roof was over his head once more. 

“WHAT?” An outraged cry from the Don pierced the air. 

He relaxed his grip on Luffy as his eyes bulged with shock at Rotini’s appearance. He slipped away from the rubber man, who fell over onto the ground and clutched at his chest, wheezing for breath. 

The mafia boss, completely enraged, noodle walked himself over to Rotini. “HOW DID YOU GET OUT?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! DID ANYONE SEE YOU?” The Don reached up and grabbed his head, yanking on the handfuls of silver that still remained. “THOSE FOOLS! I’LL HAVE ALL THEIR HEADS!”

Rotini stood frozen, accustomed to the daily beatings that he suffered at the Don’s hands. He winced, having taken a step back, as if waiting for it to start. 

The Don took a step back as well to look up at the man. He was still livid, but he was pleased that Rotini’s fear still showed so blatantly. “Hmm, or perhaps I should REWARD you for coming back like a good boy.” He patted Rotini’s massive hand with his flat one. “You didn’t know any better, did you? One of those idiot pirates must’ve let you out, thinking they were doing a good deed. HAH! AS IF PIRATES ARE SUPPOSED TO GO AROUND DOING GOOD DEEDS!” 

The Don wheeled to face Luffy again, pleased at all the blood that covered the Strawhat pirate from his previous attacks. “AS IF PIRATES HELP AND RESCUE PEOPLE! I’m going to show you right here and now what REAL PIRATES DO!” 

He gestured back to Rotini. “This is my prisoner of war, Rotini Bolognese. I killed his parents and took his birthright...now this island belongs to me...” The Don cracked his knuckles as he turned to face the larger man. “AND SO DOES HE.”

The Don flattened out his arm like a giant long noodle, making it thin so that it elongated. He held it behind him, ready to rear it back and beat Rotini. “Today’s a special occasion, Rotini, but I see you missed me so much that you came to me for your beating. HAHAHAHA.” The Don turned his head to the side to make sure Luffy was watching. “Pay attention now, boy!”

A deep rumble came from Rotini’s chest as he let out a hacking cough. He stared down at his captor. “No.”

The Don whipped his head back up to face Rotini. “NO? Are you embarrassed to have an audience, boy? Why, I remember your little friend Capellini loved to watch me beat you! It was his favorite pastime, in fact! He loved it so much that I just couldn’t bear to never let him have a taste of it, as you remember.” The Don laughed again, his arm floating in the air behind him, poised for the beating to come. “You remember it, ah yes...it was his birthday as I recall and lucky you, you got to watch as I beat him to death with my Fettuccine whip. Good times!” 

Rotini’s jaw clenched tightly, his teeth grinding against each other as he began to shake, fighting to keep his composure. “You bastard,” he rasped. “What did Capellini ever do to you?”

The Don’s face morphed into a mask of anger. “NOTHING. Why does anyone do anything?! Perhaps I just hated the way he parted his hair. Some people aren’t allowed control, but me…I have ALL THE CONTROL. You’re all just puppets and I’m pulling the strings, all just like fish in my aquarium and I decide when to introduce the shark and see you all ripped to shreds in his jaws. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

“No,” Rotini repeated, staring down at the Don defiantly. “I don’t. I never have.”

“Then I guess it’s time for your next lesson!” With a loud crack the Don reared back his flat arm. “FETTUCCINE WHIP!” He yelled as his arm sailed toward Rotini. 

Rotini flinched visibly, anticipating the pain to come...but then Capellini’s face flashed through his mind and he lifted his arm, blocking the Don’s attack at his face. The whip still stung, but he’d kept it away from the Don’s preferred position. 

“WHY YOU. WHAT’S GOTTEN INTO YOU?” The Don began assaulting Rotini with more urgency, whipping at him frantically. Rotini dodged or parried as many blows as he was able, using his large arms to block.

“I won’t let you steal another life.” Rotini spoke softly. He always had. It sounded almost strange coming from a man of his size. “This boy, he’s fighting for Toshi, I know it...”

“Ah yes, TOSHI, my consolation prize...” The Don spat on the ground. “Had I known his birth would cause my daughter’s death…”

“RAAAAAAAAR!” Luffy yelled from behind the two men, having righted himself and caught his breath. “TOSHI’S NOT YOUR PRIZE AND NEITHER IS THIS OLD GUY! YOU’LL LET BOTH OF THEM GO TODAY!!!” Luffy began running toward the Don, who laughed as he prepared another flat attack with his long Fettuccine whip. 

“You’re such a glutton for punishment, almost as much as you are for food! Don’t worry, you’ll be dead soon….” He attempted to whip his arm forward but it was stuck fast and he twisted his head around to see Rotini holding his wrist in his massive grasp. 

Luffy laughed, giving a thumbs up as Rotini yanked on the Don’s arm, cracking his body like a whip and letting him sail to the other side of the room where he flattened himself against the wall. 

“A LUCKY SHOT!” The Don reformed himself. “I suppose even YOU get a freebie, Rotini." 

Rotini looked at the Don, the anger filling his eyes as he started toward him. Luffy joined him, securely fastening his straw hat back atop his head as he walked alongside the large man.

“Oh what’s this? A little tag team?” The Don chuckled again, as he began flattening his hands, preparing for the attack that had given him his epithet. “I don’t care if it’s two men or a hundred men, you’re both a thousand years too early to take me on, boys!” 

Luffy growled, picking up the pace as he jogged toward the Don, noticing all the glittering utensils that littered the floor from the earlier stages of their fight. He scooped up as many forks and knives as he could while running. The Don was so arrogant, he thought he could just wait for them to come at him.

“Oi old man! Can you pin him against the wall? SHISHISHI!” Luffy asked Rotini.

Rotini nodded with a grunt, holding his palm out like a sumo wrestler as his large footsteps brought him closer to the Don.

“YES, YES, COME. I’D LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TO DO!”

But Rotini was stronger and faster than the Don had previously thought. He’d been so used to the man’s timid behavior. So used to all the whimpering and crying as he mercilessly beat him, he’d forgotten what a large man Rotini was. The Don’s breath was knocked out of him as Rotini’s massive palm covered his torso, holding him firmly against the wall. The man’s hands and legs flattened and flailed frantically for purchase against his attacker. They snapped at him over and over, large welts popping all over the larger man’s person, but Rotini held him firm. No matter how thin the Don flattened his body, he was unable to slip through a crack.

“YOU BASTARD!”

Luffy grinned as he threw his handfuls of forks and knives at the Don. The sharp points pierced his flattened form and pinned him to the wall. 

Lines of blood began flowing as the Don screamed with anger as much as agony. He couldn’t budge an inch. His eyes traveled back and forth at his hopeless situation, gazing out at the two men who had done this to him. His own prisoner, the man whose life he’d stolen and the stupid upstart who dared call himself the future pirate king...they’d actually immobilized him?! 

Luffy stood back as he completed his task and nodded to Rotini. “He said he killed your friend, you should get to hit him first!”

Rotini nodded a silent thanks as he made a fist and reared back his arm. “This…THIS IS FOR CAPELLINI!!!”

WHAM!!!

The walls of the grand ballroom shook as if there were an earthquake. Several chandeliers fell and shattered, their shards coating the floor and joining the dishes and wood splinters.

Luffy grit his teeth. “AND THIS IS FOR TOSHI!!!” He stretched both arms behind him as far as they would go, twisting them at the same time. They reached through the hole his body had created in the wall and then he let go. His arms came barreling back in, picking up speed as they unleashed all the kinetic energy from the extra twist. 

“TWIN PISTOL!!!” Luffy screamed. His fists barreled into the Don’s pinned form, the sheetrock cracking as his body became embedded in the wall even further. 

There was even more blood than before as the Don wheezed and coughed it up, his form going limp.

Luffy narrowed his eyes, staring at the man a moment longer before he turned on his heel, heading back out into the courtyard where his nakama had been fighting.

His grin reappeared as he stepped back into the sunshine and then held his arms out wide. The rubberman took a deep breath. 

“TOSSSSSSSSSHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!” He yelled, and there are those that say his voice could be heard all the way back at the docks. “YOU’RE FREE!!! SHISHISHISHISHISHISHI!”


	11. Here and Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you've been reading, please go back and read chapter 7 again, I accidentally posted chapter 8 twice and then ended up missing alot of the action that concludes in the two chapters I posted today! My apologies!

**CHAPTER 11: Here and Now**

* * *

Toshi opened his eyes. He was still lying in the dust on the Don’s courtyard and everything hurt, especially his face and his legs. “Ugh…” He groaned, reaching up to touch his cheek gingerly where Rotelle had nailed him with her strange brass knuckles.

He reached into his jacket pocket for a flask that wasn’t there and groaned even louder as he sat up, adjusting his headband. He scooped his nunchaku off the ground and painstakingly stood up, wavering slightly on his feet. 

Rotelle was still unconscious and Toshi breathed a sigh of relief as he began limping to where he’d seen Sanji fall. Chopper’s small form was visible on the other side of the courtyard where he was tending to two people on the ground, one of whom was unmistakably Zoro. It looked like the swordsman had taken a rather severe beating. Toshi quickened his pace toward Sanji’s form on the ground twenty yards or so away.

He hadn’t even seen it coming, but once he’d become aware of Pici’s attack on him, Toshi realized that Sanji had stepped in the line of fire that was meant for him. He did it without hesitation just as he’d attacked Toshi’s grandfather, a fight that he couldn’t win. All of them, Toshi realized, all of these pirates had taken on his fight as their own. Risked their lives for his freedom. They were truly good and noble people with hearts bigger than any ocean. 

Toshi felt his chest tighten at the thought of having friends, real friends…even after having only known them such a short time, he had no doubt in his mind that that’s what they were, and now he owed them everything. 

The bartender knelt beside the battered chef, relieved to find that he was still breathing. His leg looked pretty bad and Toshi cringed at the sight of it. 

“Hey…Sanji…” He shook his shoulder gently. “Sanji, please be alright.” Toshi sucked in a breath as Sanji’s visible eyelid began to flutter. 

"Oi. You're not going to get all weepy on me, are you?" Sanji's lips turned up in a small smile as he weakly teased the bartender. He sighed, feeling the afternoon breeze on his hot skin. It was nice, he thought, just to rest there for a bit.

Toshi let out a sigh of relief as he sat down next to the chef. “You….you didn’t have to do that, you know…but….somehow, you did.” Toshi reached into his jacket yet again looking for a flask, as he kept forgetting that they were all gone. “DAMMIT!!!!” He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to take his mind off of the growing thirst. His head was starting to pound. 

“Anyway, I wanted to say thanks….” Toshi grinned and slugged him on the arm gently.  
"Don't worry about it," Sanji replied as he reached into his pocket with fumbling fingers for his last cigarette. There was a pause while he lit it and allowed himself a long drag, still laying on his back on the battle-worn ground. When had they ever done anything in order to receive the thanks of others? The Strawhat pirates fought for causes they believed in, because they chose to shoulder those burdens. Because they felt connected in some way to the people who struggled under the weight of them. Sanji had never imagined he would end up as a pirate, let alone one that was so proud to follow a headstrong, mostly tactless, often times stupid young captain with a crazy dream of becoming the king of pirates. He smirked at that thought, finally saying, "As if we could have told him no, anyway."

Toshi opened his mouth to ask who, then snapped it shut upon realizing that he meant Luffy. Of course he meant Luffy. Toshi had never met anyone like Luffy before. Such a selfless person, so passionate and full of life. Toshi felt in that moment that he understood why they all followed him without hesitation. 

“He’s really something else isn’t it?” He reached for his flasks yet again and then sighed. “Damn, I really could use a drink after that fight…” Toshi grinned though, thinking about how he’d actually won his battle. He was on top of the world at this victory because of how much it meant to his future. 

Sanji grinned around the cigarette in his mouth. "Tell me about it."

“You look like shit, Sanji,” Toshi noted with another glance at the chef. He chuckled slightly. “But hey, at least you looked pretty cool from what little I did see of you fighting. What was all that yelling about earlier though? I couldn’t really hear you that well, but I know you must’ve been cheering me on about how much ass I was kicking, right?!” Toshi grinned again, utterly pleased with himself.

Sanji raised an eyebrow, trying to recall when he had yelled at Toshi during the fight...and then the cigarette fell out of his mouth as he sat up in an instant. "That's because you were hurting poor Rotelle-chan!!" He admonished, everything coming back to him at once. "You shitty bartender, you didn't need to beat her up that much!" 

Toshi frowned. "Please tell me you're joking, though this seriously is NOT the time Sanji..." 

But the chef paid him no heed. He growled, his eye searching out Rotelle's unconscious form on the ground. "If you've killed her, I'll make sure you die too!" Sanji's lower lip trembled a bit in sympathy as he stared at her from afar. "Oh, Rotelle-chwan...I apologize for this beastly bartender's behavior...I failed to protect you!"

Toshi’s eyebrows shot up at this display. “WHAT?! Are you kidding me?! She’s the one who attacked ME first!” Toshi shook his head at Sanji’s pathetic looking face. “HELLO, she’s one of THEM, the ENEMY! One of the people we were fighting AGAINST. Or do you not remember?” Toshi wondered what the hell was up with Sanji in that regard. Every time a woman even came near him, he seemed to turn from a cool badass chef into a blithering idiot. Toshi reached into his jacket once more, having forgotten YET AGAIN that he had no booze on him. He grit his teeth in frustration. 

Sanji glared back, his teeth suddenly becoming sharp as knives. "IT'S CALLED BEING A GENTLEMAN!! A real man doesn't lay a hand on a woman in anger! Just who the hell raised you, anyway?!" He jabbed at Toshi with a finger, eyes full of accusation. "EH?! JEEZ I should kick your ass myself!"

Toshi’s teeth morphed into daggers as well. “MY POPS RAISED ME, YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?” He shoved Sanji slightly. “OH and I suppose a REAL MAN just let’s himself be killed if his opponent is a woman?! That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” 

"You at least didn't need to hit her so hard, idiot!" Sanji retaliated, trying very hard to remember that this was the young man they had been working so hard to save and it would be very counterproductive to wring his neck after the fact. 

He inhaled deeply before shouting across the way, "ROTELLE-CHWAN!! PLEASE BE OKAY! YOUR KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR IS ON HIS WAY!" He struggled to get to his feet, visibly wincing when his bad leg bore weight, intent on hobbling to the fallen Capo's rescue.

Toshi rolled his eyes, opening his mouth for another retort when the unmistakable voice of Luffy pierced the air.

“TOSSSSSSSSSHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!! YOU’RE FREE!!! SHISHISHISHISHISHISHI!”

“Luffy!” Toshi exclaimed as he turned the direction the voice was coming from. 

Sanji stopping trying to limp toward the fallen Capo and turned, grinning as he saw the rubber man jogging in their direction, straw hat held securely on top of his head. “That shitty rubber bastard did it. I knew he would.”

Toshi’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as he stumbled forward, meeting Luffy as he came to a screeching halt in front of the boy. 

Luffy was scuffed and bruised, blood coating parts of his body, but the smile never left his face. “I DID IT! I BEAT THAT BASTARD!” Luffy grabbed his bicep while continuing to grin.

Toshi’s own face nearly split with happiness as he threw his arms around the other boy. “LUFFY…” His voice became thick with emotion. Ever since the Strawhat pirates had come into his life the emotional dam that his father had forced him to keep up had been cracking. “Luffy,” he repeated, “thank you…”

“SHISHISHISHI OF COURSE!” 

“Oi, Luffy, you look like you’ve seen better days.” Sanji smirked at his captain.

Luffy just grinned back. “YOU TOO! I’M HUNGRY!” 

Tony Tony Chopper came running towards the group of three just then, bandages in one hand and ointment in the other. Robin followed at a much slower pace as she helped Zoro walk, one of his arms draped over her shoulders.

Zoro was attempting to protest, claiming that he could walk on his own, but Robin only smiled. “Oh I’m sure you can Swordsman-san, but I’d feel much better if you let me help.”

“CH!” Sanji scoffed at the sight of them, wishing he had more cigarettes. He crumbled the empty container in his fist as his lower lip jutted out and he whined, “I want the beautiful Robin-chwan to help ME! Shitty swordsman, playing it up for attention!” He wavered on his feet as he said this and Chopper let out a shriek. 

“Oiiiii you guys need to STOP MOVING AROUND! YOU’RE ALL INJURED! AGH!!!” The reindeer flailed as he tended their wounds, stopping to yell at Zoro when he got closer, “ZORO! WHY DIDN’T YOU STAY PUT? YOU’RE REALLY INJURED!!!” 

“It’s nothing,” Zoro grunted. 

Luffy grinned, pleased to see his crew had been victorious in their own fights. The smile dropped off his face and he shielded his eyes with a hand, although it wasn’t needed due to the ever present straw hat. 

“Ehhh? Where’s Usopp and Nami?!”

Sanji stood up straighter as his visible eye widened. “AHHH NAMI-SAN!!! I’ll never forgive you if something bad happened to her, you shitty rubber bastard!”

Luffy jutted out his lips like a duck, holding his hands behind his head. “I’m sure she’s fiiiine!”

Chopper was working like a madman and quickly finished tying the last bandage over Luffy and then started on Sanji. “STAY STILL!!!” The reindeer admonished.

“Hey,” Toshi piped up, “isn’t that Nami over there?” He pointed in the direction of the mansion, where sure enough the figures of Nami, Usopp and a short man dressed in gold were emerging from the side of the massive building.

“NAMI-SWAAAAAAN!” Sanji wobbled, causing Chopper to yell at him again so he could finish bandaging his leg. 

Toshi rolled his eyes but his lips turned up slightly as the group made their way towards them.

“Hey!” Luffy suddenly seemed to remember something. “Where’s that big guy who was fighting with me???”

Zoro coughed slightly and looked up. “How big?”

Luffy didn’t hesitate. “HUUUGE!!! SHISHISHI.”

The swordsman’s lips turned up in a smirk. “Heh. I knew he was strong.” He was glad to hear that Rotini had stood up against the Don. 

“I dunno why he didn’t come with me! He was cool, that huge old guy!!!”

“LUFFY!” Nami’s voice was upon them as she jogged over. “What happened?” She gave him a onceover, noting all the fresh bandages. 

The Captain through his arms up in the air victoriously. “I WOOOOON!!!” 

Nami and Usopp smiled. They’d never doubted him for a minute. 

“Whose this short old guy?!” Luffy said, shoving his pinky finger up his nose. 

Orzo stepped forward timidly, tapping his fingertips together nervously. “I’m Orzo, the Don’s advisor...”

“NOT ANYMORE!” Luffy announced, taking his finger out of his nose. “EVERYONE’S GONNA BE FREE NOW!”

Orzo’s mouth dropped open. “Wh…what…WHAT? ROTINI!” He yelled suddenly. “I have to find Rotini!!!”

“Oi,” Zoro said, “I think he’s in the mansion. We should check the giant hole in the side…”

“YOU’RE IN NO CONDITION TO MOVE!” Chopper yelled. 

Toshi was happy, but he’d gone silent. There was so much to think about, and the loss of Farfalle was at the forefront of his mind. Even if the Don was defeated, this whole island had depended on him...followed his words as if they were law. What was going to happen here if there was no leader to take his grandfather's place? 

Sanji seemed to sense Toshi’s somber mood and limped closer to Luffy, speaking in low tones. “After you left, that shitty Stripes killed Toshi’s uncle…”

Luffy’s eyes widened, his nostrils flaring with rage. Sanji clamped a hand on his shoulder tightly to keep him from yelling. 

“Don’t make a scene, Toshi already feels bad enough,” he said, still keeping his voice down.

Luffy’s face had become darkened by this news, but he nodded in understanding. Sometimes there was no way to avoid these things… He just wished that Toshi didn’t have to feel so much pain. 

“Toshi…let’s go find the huge guy! And we can help you…with…your uncle man...I’m sorry.”

Toshi nodded mutely, rummaging absentmindedly through his jacket for nonexistent flasks yet again. He sighed as he hobbled after the rest of them toward the giant hole in the side of the mansion. Chopper finally agreed to let them all move, thinking Zoro could probably find a better place to rest there...at least for awhile.

oOo

Rotelle cracked one of her eyes open from her position, still prone in the dust. It seemed like the pirates were finally gone. She’d regained consciousness several minutes prior but stayed completely still as not to attract the attention of the Strawhats and the others.

Rotelle bit her lip, disgusted with herself for losing the fight and especially for passing out. What would Gemelli say when she found out?! She’d be so disappointed...and then there was Pici…

Her eyes widened suddenly. “PICI!” She lifted herself to her feet quickly, eyes scanning the area for the redhead. He’d been fighting that man in the suit who’d been swooning over her. Rotelle chewed on her thumbnail, her pulse quickening as worry filled her chest. What if he…he couldn’t possibly have…

Rotelle’s gaze finally rested over the broken fountain. A bright shock of red hair could be seen near several dozen unconscious Rigatoni and piles of rubble that used to be a statue of Don Fettuccine. She tried to take off at a run, but stumbled in her haste, forgetting the extent of her injuries. She grit her teeth against the pain and limped forward slowly until she finally made it to the other side of the courtyard, collapsing next to her fellow Capo.

He was a mess, his clothes torn and bloody, dirt smudged his face and there were so many bruises. She almost thought he was dead for a minute until she saw the shallow rise and fall of his chest. It clearly hurt him to breathe. His sunglasses were gone who knows where, and his face was a mask of pain. 

Rotelle felt tears spring to her eyes seeing him in such a pathetic state. She placed her hand upon his face gently as they spilled over, leaving streaks down her dirty face.

“Oh Pici… Pici, please… Don’t...don’t leave me. I…I haven’t told you yet…”

Rotelle's voice cut through the half-conscious haze that Pici was currently swimming in, and a moment later the redhead stirred. His eyelids slowly fluttered open and he struggled to focus on the woman before him. 

"Ro...telle..." He croaked, wincing as he forced himself to sit up. He felt relief course through him at the sight of her; she was bruised and bleeding, but she was alive. He sighed, his gladness showing through in spite of his attempts at remaining professional. "You...lost...your fight..." He coughed, one hand grasping at the site of his cracked ribs. "Don Fettuccine...he'll..."

“Pici!” Rotelle reached for his hand, gripping it as tightly as she dared. “Stop. Stop talking, you’ll hurt yourself even more! I…I don’t care what the Don does to me. You lost your fight too. Whatever happens, it’s going to happen to the both of us….that’s why I…”

She looked away, her face tinting pink even through all the bruises and blood. The Capo brought her other hand up to clasp around Pici’s. She could feel him trembling ever so slightly and she smiled softly. 

“Pici,” she whispered as she met his gaze again. Why he always wore those giant sunglasses she never knew. He had the most beautiful eyes. “There’s something I need to tell you. If we’re going to die today anyway, there’s something I want you to know.”

Pici blinked up at her in earnest curiosity, though truth be told there was something he'd been holding back from her as well. He was certain that whatever she had to say to him was probably different than his own admission. He swallowed, his throat dry and sticky all of a sudden. "What...what is it?"

Rotelle thought he looked so innocent in that moment, his eyes wide with curiosity and something else that passed over his face...part fear, part something she wasn’t quite sure of.

For as long as she could remember, Pici had been in her life. They’d grown up together in the Alfredo Family, groomed from their birth to take their parent’s places as Capo, drilled incessantly, never allowed much freedom or time to play like normal children. 

But Pici had always been a constant in her life. Rotelle tried to imagine a world in which they’d never met and found it impossible. Over those years spent side by side she couldn’t help but start to feel something more than camaraderie for the man. 

She exhaled a small puff of breath, her lips turning up into a soft smile as she met his eyes again. Those eyes that she’d seen age over the years. Those eyes she’d seen him cover as they’d gotten older and he began to act strange around her sometimes. Not a day went by that they didn’t have an argument of some sort. But somehow she'd found that endearing, looked forward to it even. 

“Pici,” she began again, “I don’t know if you could ever think the same way about me, but I….for a long time now, I…” She gulped audibly. How long had she wanted to tell him this? Now was the perfect chance and she was messing it up by making herself look like an idiot!

She cleared her throat, her face burning with embarrassment. She squeezed his hand more tightly than she probably should have and blurted out, “PICI I LOVE YOU!” The Capo dropped his hand after realizing she’d finally done it and she covered her mouth as her eyes went wide, getting ready for the onslaught of Pici’s wrath at her less than decorous confession. 

Pici's silence seemed to drag on for ages, his jaw slack and his eyes wide in shock. That confession was the last thing he'd ever expected to hear from his fellow Capo. In fact, for years now he had tried so valiantly to hide his growing affection for her, so sure that she could never reciprocate. Certain that she would laugh him out of the Rigatoni if he'd ever expressed an inkling of romantic interest in her. 

He gulped as it occurred to him that he needed to say something or she would definitely think he didn't care for her. He opened his mouth and only air escaped. She was so beautiful, particularly in that moment with flushed cheeks and vulnerable eyes. Pici couldn't hold back the dopey smile that pulled at his lips. 

"Let's get married," he blurted out before he could stop himself from such a tactless proposal.

But Rotelle grinned, even as she let out an exasperated sigh. She shoved Pici’s shoulder gently. “You idiot!!! You sure took long enough to answer me!” 

How was it possible that all these years they’d loved each other and never noticed it? Rotelle was so happy, her chest felt like it was going to burst. 

She put her hand on Pici’s face as she leaned toward him awkwardly, lightly pressing her lips against his. “Dumbass, of course I’m going to say yes!” She kissed him again and pulled back. “You should’ve said something sooner!” 

Pici chuckled, feeling his chest swell with happiness even with all the injuries he'd sustained that day. He reached for her hands, grasping them gently as he smiled brightly back at her, displaying a missing premolar. "I suppose you're right... I'm glad one of us had the guts to say it, then," he replied, raising a weak and trembling hand up to brush a loose strand of hair away from her face.

Rotelle smiled stupidly right back at Pici as she leaned her forehead against his, and there they remained, basking in happiness despite the fact that their faces were covered in bruises and dried blood. Never were there ever two people more in love after nearly dying.

oOo

Roshi had spent most of the day as a nervous wreck. After he’d cried until he felt as if he physically couldn’t anymore, he’d gone back down to the basement. Gone back down and stared at the rusty still where he’d told the Strawhats things he’d never even told Toshi.

Why had he kept them a secret for so long? Why hadn’t he wanted Toshi to know about his sister? His heart clenched painfully in his chest at the thought of his daughter. Hoshi had been his greatest joy and there wasn’t a day that had gone by that he hadn’t thought of her. Hadn’t recalled all the good times they’d had together, things they’d done and seen. He remembered the joy in her eyes at the smallest things, remembered holding her tiny hand when she was born and as she grew.

He just wished he could’ve seen the look in her eyes when she’d found out about his betrayal. He regretted it now more than ever. After losing both of the women in his life, it was all the man could do just to keep moving forward. He had to remain strong, for Toshi. 

Toshi, who’d been taken away from him now. He thought he’d never have to feel that pain again even though he remembered with far too much clarity the signing of the second contract. His blood had felt like ice in his veins. It was always present in the back of his mind, the fact that he’d lost Toshi one day. He'd dreaded that day…the day that had finally come. 

And what was he doing?

Sitting at home moping like a broken man, letting those pirates fight a battle that should be his own. What kind of man did that make him? A weak man? Roshi clenched his fists together, shame burning through his entire body. 

He should be the one out there fighting for Toshi’s freedom. Wasn’t that what a father did for his children? He should’ve done it for Hoshi, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to make that mistake with Toshi! His boy deserved better than that. 

Rolling up his sleeves with his good hand, Roshi gathered up several bottles of Toshi’s favorite whiskey, knowing the bastard that was his father-in-law surely hadn’t given him any, and those flasks could only last so long. Who knew if the Strawhat pirates had even gotten a chance to give Toshi the sake from earlier? 

What if they were all dead? Was he just going to his own death now? That bastard hadn’t become the master of this island by sitting on his ass, after all…

Roshi decided that it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t let Toshi go. He couldn’t bear to lose another child. Fire up with new resolution in his chest, he made his way to the Alfredo mansion, noting how dead the streets were, devoid of the usual number of black-clad people. He had to wonder…just what the hell had gone down at the Alfredo mansion that day?

oOo

The mansion was quiet, though Nami knew there still had to be Rigatoni around somewhere. Maybe they couldn’t function without their leaders. Maybe they'd become incapacitated, as if they were a hive mind.

When Luffy and Zoro had been referring to a ‘huge man,’ Nami hadn't realized just how huge he was going to be. He wasn’t a giant by any means, but he was far larger than any normal-sized man. His back was turned to them as they entered the mansion through the sizeable gouge in the wall.

His arms, which looked more like tree trunks, hung limply at his sides, fists curled tightly as he stared at the wall. 

The group approached him somewhat cautiously, peering around his massive form to see what held his attention captive. Toshi let out a gasp upon seeing what Rotini was staring at. It was the limp form of his grandfather, pinned to the wall, flat as a pancake. 

Not dead, but very much defeated.

They all watched as Orzo fell to his knees at the sight of his grandson.

“Rotini…” He rasped, covering his eyes as the tears started flowing.

“Granddad…?” The massive man turned slowly, his sunken eyes lighting up with happiness for the first time in who knew how long. 

“Yes…” The short man reached for him, his legs refusing to work upon his relief at seeing his grandson alive and well. 

Luffy smiled as he addressed the golden man, “Shishi, he’s your grandson? He’s really strong you know! He helped me beat that old bastard!”

“You’ve done it…” Orzo seemed to be in shock as just continued to stare at Rotini his eyes moving between his grandson, Luffy, and the man he’d unwittingly been an advisor to for so many years. “You’ve really done it…Rotini.”

The large man came forward and helped his grandfather to his feet. “He did most of the work. But I got in a shot…for…for Capellini.”

Orzo’s overflowing eyes kept looking up at his grandson as he patted his hand; a hand he would definitely be small enough to fit inside. 

Toshi was silent, biting his lip as he watched the exchange, thoughts of his father going through his head. He wondered what these two men meant to this place. It was the first time he’d seen either of them. There was so much he didn’t know. So much he didn’t even want to know. What did this mean for him? And what the hell were they going to do with his grandfather?

And Farfalle… His lifeless body was still upstairs in the dining room. There was still so much to do. Toshi's chest ached thinking about it again. He never thought he’d have to say goodbye.

From behind the ruins of the grand ballroom, there was a loud creaking sound and a young man’s head peeked through the back door. “Hmm? Ravioli, the earthquake stopped! I think we can come out now, but boy everything is a huge mess...”

The head chef of the Alfredo family pushed the door the rest of the way open, surveying the damage. “Damn, they’d just had the cake delivered too. I’m guessing that was no earthquake, though.”

Tortellini did a double-take at the chaos that surrounded them, spying a familiar blond at near the defeated Don. “Hey! It’s Mister Prince!!!” 

Sanji started at hearing his pseudonym and pivoted on his foot, immediately spying the two cooks that he’d had the pleasure of meeting earlier. "Hey now, didn't I tell you to get out of here?! You could've been killed," he scolded them, though he was visibly relieved to see them alive and well nonetheless.

“Looks who’s talking!” Tortellini blurted as he climbed over the rubble toward Sanji. 

Ravioli followed the boy, though he took his time, careful not to rip his clothing. “What’s happened here? And where’s the cake?”

“Man!” Tortellini said as he searched for any remains of the treat. “I was hoping to get a bite of that myself!”

“Hush!” Ravioli reprimanded. “You know the Don doesn’t allow...that...” He trailed off and his eyes widened as he spied the Don pinned to the wall, bloody and unconscious. “You…you…I knew you weren’t an ordinary waiter…”

Sanji grinned as he jerked his thumb toward Luffy. "Unfortunately I can't take credit for that. He's the one you want to be thanking."

Ravioli gave the boy in the straw hat a onceover. “I’ve…I’ve seen him before, his wanted poster! That’s Strawhat Luffy! The man who took down Crocodile…” Ravioli grasped at his apron to keep his hands from shaking, his knees not really feeling up to the task of holding his weight for much longer. He sank down onto the ground.

“Ravioli!” Tortellini rushed over to his side. “What does this mean?”

Luffy grinned at the new arrivals, thumbing at his nose “SHISHISHI! YOU’RE FREE, OLD MAN!”

A voice rang out from the courtyard just then; a voice so familiar, as Toshi had heard it every day of his life.

“TOSHI, MY BOY!!!”

“Pops…”


	12. Finding the Dream

* * *

“POPS!!!” Toshi yelled again, running toward the source of the voice. The Strawhats' heads all turned to see Toshi rushing out of the hole in the wall.

There was Roshi, running and stumbling through the broken cobblestones of the courtyard, trying to hold several bottles of alcohol under his arm.

Toshi met him halfway, throwing his arms around his father, nearly knocking him over. “Pops…” Toshi clutched at the man for dear life, and Roshi was somehow able to keep hold of his burden. Toshi felt fresh tears wetting his face at the sheer relief of seeing his father. When he’d been taken, for a while there he’d almost lost hope. 

“Toshi, my boy…” A hand gingerly clasped around Toshi’s back as Roshi hugged him as best as he was able.

Toshi knew he should be angry, especially after finding out all the lies about his life so far. He wanted more than anything to ask about his lost sister, but now just didn’t seem like the right time. Now that he was actually free from the life he’d never chosen. Now that the Don was defeated and Penne incapacitated. Now that Farfalle was dead. There was still so much to do. There really wasn’t any time to point fingers and accuse. Whatever had made his father keep that secret for twenty years, well surely it could wait another day or two. 

Toshi finally pulled back, gazing into his father’s eyes. He looked like he’d aged ten years in that single afternoon. They just stared at each other for a long moment until Roshi jumped slightly, remembering his gift.

“I brought you a little something…” He handed over the bottles of whiskey to his son.

Toshi’s eyes lit up. He grabbed them and immediately uncorked a bottle, downing the whole thing in seconds. The second one followed shortly, and then a third and a fourth. 

The older man laughed. “You’d think you hadn’t had anything to drink in a year!”

Toshi sighed with relief. “It sure FELT like a year!” He rubbed the back of his head. “That old buzzard didn’t seem to have a drop in the whole place.” Toshi scowled casting a glance back at the mansion.

“Hey, didn’t those pirates give you the alcohol I sent with them? It was a whole bottle of sake!”

Toshi twitched. “Wh-what?”

“Yeah! The one with the green hair, he said he’d take it to you.”

The boy gripped his fists tightly at his sides. “That son of a bitch!”

Inside the mansion, still being supported by Robin, the swordsman sneezed.

“Oh, looks like someone’s talking about you.” Robin chuckled.

Zoro was not amused, though he still felt like there was something he was forgetting...

Back with Toshi and his father, the anger that crossed the young bartender’s face was only momentary as the terrible reality came crashing down upon him again. 

“Pops…” He looked up, trying and failing to keep the thick emotion out of his voice.

Roshi’s eyes widened in alarm and he put his hands on Toshi’s shoulders. “What is it son?”

“Uncle…uncle Farfalle is dead…”

Roshi’s hands slid off of his son’s shoulders and he stood back, staring at the ground. He’d never really cared for either of the Don’s lackeys, knowing their true purpose for being there so often. They'd been a constant reminder of the inevitable, though he knew how close Toshi had been with Farfalle; he had truly been like a blood uncle to the boy and was Toshi’s only friend outside the tavern. Roshi couldn’t imagine how much pain Toshi was going through, and he wondered just how much Toshi knew about…well…everything now. 

“I’m sorry…” He whispered. 

Toshi nodded numbly, looking back at the mansion. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. Luffy, he…he defeated the Don…but now because of that contract…doesn’t that make ME the Don?” 

Roshi struggled to keep the surprise off of his face. Of course the boy in the straw hat had won, that was exactly why Toshi was standing out here in front of him. “You…he…Toshi, no. No, you don’t--” He stopped abruptly at the soulful gaze his son gave him and his heart felt heavy once more. 

Toshi continued, “There’s probably a lot of things going on that I don’t even know the half of. This huge guy in there, named Rotini…I don’t…I don’t even know. These people, what if they don’t like being in this ‘family’ either? What…what do I do?” 

But Roshi was unable to answer when Luffy came bounding up to him again, looking happy as a clam. “OLD MAN! You made it! SHISHISHI we’re going to have to have a REAL PARTY later!”

“Luffy…” Toshi put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “My Uncle…this place…”

Luffy’s face fell. “I know…but! The short golden old guy was telling me some stuff about that huge guy! And Nami and Usopp too!!! The huge guy, you see, he’s the son of the guy who used to run this island before your mean old gramps took it over! They could take it over again! Everyone can be free!” 

“What?”

“Yeah! Everyone thinks he’s dead but he’s secretly been alive all these years! It’s great news, SHISHISHI!”

“Huh…” Toshi mulled this over for a few moments but couldn’t get his mind off of his uncle. Not to mention the battered Penne who was still up there with him. Crying his eyes out. Good. Toshi hoped he cried until his body dried up and shriveled away to nothing. 

“Alright. I want to take care of my Uncles, you find out if they have any seastone chains around here and get my bastard of a grandfather locked up.”

“Roger!” Luffy did a mock marine salute at the bartender.

“Luffy…I know this is a lot to ask, but…” Toshi took a deep breath. “Do you think you’d mind staying maybe one more day?”

“DONE!” Luffy clapped a hand on Toshi’s shoulder. “We’re friends now aren’t we?”

Toshi smiled, feeling the tears prick at his eyes once more. “Yeah…”

oOo

Orzo found himself unable to speak, only able to stare at his grandson in wonder. He knew how difficult this must have been for him; standing up to his captor and punisher after so many years. Amidst the deep relief he felt there was also the gnawing pain of regret that he had to push aside before they could move on with their lives.

Orzo finally looked up and met Rotini’s eyes. There was something he owed him after all these years. “Rotini…I…I’m sorry…” 

“Granddad,” came the low rumble of a reply, “it’s not your fault.”

“I just wanted you to live…I…couldn’t bear losing you. I didn’t know this would happen. I’m so sorry, so sorry…” Orzo’s voice trailed off in a harsh whisper.

Rotini looked down at his grandfather soulfully. “I’m free now.”

Orzo nodded, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief he’d pulled from his golden jacket. “You’re right. We can’t look back, only forward. There’s so much work to do…and the Don’s heir…” 

He glanced over his shoulder through the whole in the wall at the figures of Toshi and Roshi.

“I’ll be back, Rotini. There’s something I have to take care of.” The little man trotted off on short legs towards the Koshis. 

Rotini stared after him, still in shock at everything that had happened today so far. 

“Heh.” A voice came from nearby and the large man glanced over to see Zoro. 

“So,” Zoro began, “you are strong. I like that.” The green haired man wavered on his feet, still quite weak from blood loss.

Chopper shrieked from a few feet behind him and ran to push his little hooves against Zoro’s legs and keep him standing. “ZORO!!! PLEASE REST!”

“I’ll rest when I’m dead, “ Zoro grunted.

“IF YOU DON’T REST THAT’LL BE SOONER THAN YOU THINK!”

The swordsman sighed, giving in to the doctor’s hysterics. “Fine. I just wanted to tell Rotini 'good job.'” He lifted his chin at the other man, as much as he could without falling over. 

Rotini nodded to him solemnly. “Thank you…” and Zoro knew it had more than one meaning.

“Just don’t tell anyone a pirate helped you, eh?” Zoro smirked at Rotini then finally allowed Chopper to push him away to a more suitable resting spot.

oOo

Orzo came to a full stop beside Toshi and Roshi. “Ah…excuse me, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” He pressed his small hands together and raised his eyebrows in question.

Toshi shook his head. “No. Um…what can I help you with?”

Orzo looked nervous. “Ah, the matter of…the island.”

Toshi’s face fell. “Oh…that’s right. I’m the ‘new Don’ and everything.”

“Yes, I’m sorry we haven’t been properly introduced yet. I’m Orzo Bolognese, the Consiglieri to the Don. I suppose you’ll be wanting to make a speech to give out your new commands. Or, well, if the mansion isn’t to your liking just let us know what we need to change, what food you like, and of course we’ll need to have that gaping hole fixed. And, ah…the matter of the prisoners, erm…the dungeon should suffice for now, but your grandfather is technically still a wanted pirate with a bounty and—“

Toshi held his hands up for Orzo to stop. “Whoa, whoa, whoa…why the hell would I want any of that?! You people might know ME, but this is entirely new to me and I don’t know a damn thing about it.”

“Ah, but that’s why I’m here! And I’m sure that Rotini as well would be more than happy to assist in whatever you wish…?”

“What? No. What I wish is to never see this damn place again. I never wanted this, it was forced on me.” He tried not to glance over at his father, feeling the ache in his chest deepen when he remembered the contract and the lies.

“But who…what…what will we do?”

“Luffy said your family used to run this place. What’s stopping you from running it again? Don’t they all think the huge guy is dead? Tell them he’s not and do whatever you want, but leave me out of this. I want to take care of my Uncle….nothing else matters right now.”

Orzo stared for a moment then nodded, bowing his head slightly. “I…I..thank you.” He backed away from the Koshis, plans to set this island right and ship the Don and his lackey off to prison already filling his mind.

oOo

**THE NEXT DAY:**

It was raining. 

Wasn’t it always during funerals? This was the first time Toshi had ever attended a funeral. He and his Pops were dressed all in black. Even his headband was black. 

Luffy and they others had kept their promise, staying another day as moral support for Toshi. 

The Don and Penne were down in the dungeon; the very dungeon where Rotini had been kept for most of his life, where they were awaiting their punishment. The Capo and many of the Rigatoni had been incapacitated and were laid up in the mansion to recover. Chopper had insisted on treating some of them himself, a gesture of good faith on his part.

Orzo planned to call the marines and turn in Fettuccine and Penne, but out of respect he held off in order to let the pirates who had freed this island stick around for the funeral and for Toshi.  
He wouldn’t do anything about the Capo and the Rigatoni until he found out where they stood on the matter. Would they relinquish their titles or were they still loyal to the Don? In any case, when this was all over he hoped to have a respectable-sized police force instead of an island full of thugs. Perhaps they had felt just as trapped as he had for all those years. 

Orzo knew what it was all too well and he didn’t want to let anyone ever feel it again. 

Farfalle’s funeral was a quiet and solemn affair. He had no living family so Toshi, Roshi, Rotini, Orzo and the Strawhat pirates were the only people in attendance. Rotelle had also limped out to say her goodbyes as the least injured of the Capo, though she kept a safe distance from Toshi. 

Toshi stood over his Uncle’s grave as they lowered his casket into the ground, tears streaming down his face. His father on his right, Luffy on his left. He opened his mouth to say goodbye but there was only a rush of air and he clenched his fists tightly at his sides, shaking with the effort it was taking for him not to break down then and there.

Soon it was over, the last rites had been given by a priest and Farfalle was laid to rest. Toshi placed a small bouquet of flowers on the fresh mound of earth, backing away from the headstone slowly.

He kissed his hand and pressed it against the cold stone into which was carved ‘Farfalle Primavera, Beloved Uncle.’

“Goodbye…” Toshi whispered as he felt his father’s hand clamp lightly onto his shoulder.

“It’s time to go, son…” 

“Right.” 

With a last glance at the headstone, the small group made their way to The Jade Bangle where Lo Mein was waiting for them.

Toshi could tell the shorter man was about to burst with something, but he held back when he saw how somber the young bartender’s face was.

“Well guess what!” Lo Mein said. “I saved you cake from other day, figure we can have now, a mini birthday party for Toshi, yes?”

Toshi looked confused. “There was cake? I don’t…” He trailed off and realization dawning on him, glanced over at Sanji. He must’ve made it for the party they were supposed to have had yesterday. Thoughtful. 

Toshi could tell everyone was trying to be tactful and careful around him given the serious and sad events of the day 

“Toshi…” Lo Mein said, gesturing for the boy to come closer. “I know you sad right now, but Uncle not want you to be sad too long! You didn’t get real birthday party yesterday, so why not have now? With all you friends?”

Toshi looked out at the group who were making themselves comfortable in the empty bar. They were leaving it closed to customers for today in observance of the funeral. 

There was the sound of music in the background and Toshi whipped his head around to see his father sitting at the piano for the first time in what seemed like years. Roshi grinned and began to play a birthday song while Sanji began serving the cake. 

“And of course, we can’t have party WITHOUT DRINKS!” Lo Mein said and handed Toshi a giant pitcher of margaritas made with his favorite tequila. “You no make drink today, I do all for you!”

“Aww Lo Mein…” Toshi grabbed the pitcher and chugged it while Luffy whooped in the background, clapping his hands over his head in time to the music that Roshi was playing on the piano. 

Chopper soon joined in with Luffy after checking everyone’s bandages. 

Nami sat next to Toshi at the bar with a full mug of beer. “Happy Birthday, Toshi.” She grinned and clinked her glass against the next full pitcher that Lo Mein had given the birthday boy. 

“Cheers,” Toshi said with a half smile at the orange-haired girl. “Heard you were looking for some treasure while we were at my evil grandfather’s place…”

Nami tried not to look ashamed of herself as she averted her eyes. “Yeah, well, we are pirates and everything…” Her lips jutted out into a pout and Toshi nudged her with his elbow.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, of course.” He joked, but his tone was half hearted. “You guys didn’t even need to come after me at all. I’ve…never had anyone do something like this for me. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

Nami smiled warmly, meeting the boy’s eyes. “That’s what friends do.”

In the background Sanji was wobbling back and forth on his legs, anger veins popping out on his forehead. “First Rotelle-chan and now Nami-san! Who does that stupid bartender think he is! YOU BETTER BE TREATING NAMI-SAN WELL, TOSHI!”

Toshi rolled his eyes waving hand over his shoulder as he finished his fifth pitcher. 

Lo Mein lined up some shots for them and Zoro joined in, sitting next to Toshi on his left.  
Toshi was still going when the swordsman and the navigator were red in the face and reeling drunk. 

He clucked his tongue. “Lightweights.” He finally had a piece of cake, chatting with Sanji about the recipe as he ate it slowly.

“This is rum cake isn’t it?”

The chef nodded. “Well, you seemed to like alcohol…” He smirked as he lit up a cigarette.

Toshi held up his right hand, holding his thumb and index finger about an inch apart. “Ehhh…just a LITTLE.” 

Sanji laughed. 

Chopper waltzed over, Chopsticks shoved far up his nose. “Toshi…..” He waved his arms like noodles. “You’re not in any pain are you? Do you need me to change your bandages?”

“Nah Chopper I’m fine.” His lips couldn’t help but turn up at how ridiculous the little reindeer looked. “I’m good as new thanks to your doctoring skills.” He threw back another shot as the reindeer began dancing even more.

“YOU BASTARD! THAT DOESN’T MAKE ME HAPPY TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT!”

Usopp and Luffy were doing some kind of line dance in front of the stage where Roshi was pounding away at the piano like a man possessed. Toshi swore he’d never seen him go all out in a performance like this. What the hell had gotten into him?

Robin leaned against the bar next to Toshi after chuckling over the comatose Nami and Zoro. “Well Bartender-san, are you enjoying your birthday party?”

Toshi smiled at the archaeologist. “It’s the first one I’ve ever had with friends.” 

Robin nodded, something unidentifiable passing over her face for a moment, but before Toshi could ask, it was gone. 

Usopp bounded over to the two of them just then holding out a package wrapped in old wanted posters to Toshi. “Hey, it’s not much but you know, you can’t have a birthday without presents, and what better present than one made by the Great Captain Usopp-sama!”

Toshi took the package. “Thanks ‘Captain!’”

“Well, open it!” 

Toshi ripped it open to find a handcrafted wooden mug with his name painted on it in bold letters . His eyes widened. “Usopp…this is great! Thank you! I’m gonna drink so much beer out of here…”

Usopp grinned and rubbed the back of his head. “Glad you like it!”

The piano music stopped then, followed by a loud groan from Luffy. Roshi said he needed a break and hopped down off the stage to get a drink while Luffy went back for their sixth serving of cake. Sanji was just barely able to keep him from swallowing the remainder of it whole.

Toshi glanced over at his father. There was still so much unsaid between them. As much fun as he was having, there was still a weight on his chest about the past. The contract, the lies. The question ‘why’ kept resounding through his head. 

“Excuse me.” Toshi removed himself from the group and approached his father. “Pops…can we talk?”

Roshi’s eyes widened but then he quickly nodded, he knew this was coming sooner or later. “Of course son, come on.” He led Toshi through the back door of The Jade Bangle where it adjoined to their house and they both sat down at the kitchen table. Roshi was itching to get up and pace but he settled for folding his hands in his lap while he waited for Toshi to speak. 

“Pops…I know. I know about…well…everything.”

Roshi sucked in a breath through his teeth. “E-everything?” His eyes were wide as he waited for his son’s affirmation.

“Yeah.” Toshi bit his lip and spoke again. “And not just the contract...or should I say contracts. I know about Hoshi...”

The tears threatened to fall again as Roshi heard Toshi say his sister’s name for the first time. His sister that he hadn’t even known existed a day ago. “Toshi…I…”

Toshi held up his hand for the older man’s silence. “Let me finish. I don’t think it was right for you not to tell me. I hate that you didn’t tell me, in fact.” He paused momentarily to open a flask and take a few sips. “Up until now I thought there was only one person missing in my life, now to find out there was a whole other person...and then to lose another one on the same day…do you have any idea how that makes me feel? You lied to me. My entire life.”

Roshi’s face fell, though he’d always feared the day would come that he’d have to explain himself to Toshi. He still didn’t even know what he could possibly say to make what he’d done alright. It wasn’t alright, it was abominable and he felt like a terrible parent for doing those things, even though everything he'd ever done was to protect his children.

But it wasn’t good enough. He’d gambled with their lives and almost lost the both of them in the process. 

“I know, son…I…there’s no excuse for it, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am or how much I regret it…would you even believe me?”

Toshi sighed, just staring at his father for a long time. “I want to believe you, I really do. But now I don’t even know if I can. You’ve done a lot for me, raised me, taught me nearly everything I know, but when I saw that contract…you can’t imagine the kind of betrayal I felt. It’s like the only reason I existed was to be payment to that old bastard. When Hoshi left, it seemed like you didn’t have a choice but to ‘sell’ me. And you’d sold her without a second thought before her birth, even. I don’t blame her for running away.”

Roshi opened his mouth but nothing would come out. He couldn’t deny it. Everything that Toshi said was absolutely right.

A few more seconds of silence passed as Toshi finished off another flask and drummed his fingers against the table. He then dared to ask the question that had been weighing heavily on his mind. “Is she…is she still alive?”

Roshi almost lost it again right there, but instead took a very deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before he let it out slowly and looked up to meet Toshi’s eyes. Those eyes that were identical to his mother’s and to Hoshi’s. “I don’t know, son. It’s…possible no doubt, but it’s been over twenty years since she left, and…and never once did I hear from her. If she is alive, she doesn’t know what happened to your mother either…”

Toshi’s hands curled against the table. He couldn’t stand the thought of his sister being dead. He didn’t know her, but it was all too much to think about. A sibling…a real sibling…he wanted that as much as he wanted his freedom. “I want to know, Pops. I don’t want her to be a story we just talk about, like mom. At least I can visit her grave, and I know what happened to her was the truth. About Hoshi…I need to know.”

Roshi felt his heart break again at the sincere words of his boy. “That’s not something I can help you with, son.”

Toshi frowned. “Don’t you even care?! Why didn’t you go after her?! Why haven’t you been looking for her all these years?! I could’ve come with you, you know!”

“Don’t you think I wanted to?! Don’t you think that every part of me wanted to drop everything and search for her until my last breath? Of COURSE I wanted that. But sometimes you can’t do what you want, son! You have no idea the iron grip your grandfather had on this place, but you’ve seen it now haven’t you? Your ‘Uncles’ were here, even before you remember them. They were her ‘Uncles’ too. Watching our every move. And I know how much you’re hurting and I do believe that Farfalle honestly cared for you, but you’ve got to see it for what it is too, son.”

The young man swiped at his eyes that had become misty again. “I don’t think I can do this anymore Pops. I can’t stay here. I can’t take over the tavern, I can’t go on living the way I have been now that I know. I feel like my entire life has been one long lie...”

“Toshi…” The older man reached for his son.

“Don’t Pops, just…don’t…I need some time…” 

Roshi swallowed hard and nodded. “I know…but there’s something I need to tell you. I…made a promise to that boy in the straw hat. That if they succeeded in saving you, I’d give you your freedom. It’s…really… all I ever wanted for you. You don’t have to become the new Don, you don’t have to take over the tavern…your future, my boy, it’s a blank sheet of paper and you’re holding the pencil…”

Toshi blinked at his father, pushing away from his seat at the table and standing. He looked down and anywhere but at Roshi. It was exactly what he’d wanted to hear, but now that he’d heard it, he was at a loss. He didn’t own a cent, he’d never had a set plan or a set ambition. He had just enjoyed life as it came at him, as isolated from people his own age as that life had been. It was a lot to take in at once and he soon found himself confused and overwhelmed.

“Excuse me…”

Toshi stalked out of the room quickly, pushing his way out the front door, avoiding all the Strawhats even as they tried to talk to him and sat on the stoop outside the tavern, pulling his knees up and resting his arms over them. 

The door creaked open once more, the little bell that hung atop it signaling the exit of a person. The soft sound of sandals against the cobblestones reached Toshi’s ears as the person sat down next to him with a loud sigh of contentment.

“Ahhhh, I’m so full!” Luffy patted his stomach and turned to Toshi. “Hmm…so why are you out here all by yourself? Toshi?”

Toshi really didn’t feel like talking to anyone, but upon hearing the sincerity in Luffy’s voice, he couldn’t help but answer. Luffy had been the one who insisted on saving him, the one who beat his grandfather, the one that his father had made the promise to. Luffy was incredible. Toshi had never met anyone like him and the thought of never seeing him again, or any of the other Strawhats, sent a shock of pain through his chest that he'd been unaware he could even feel.

The boy turned towards the pirate. “I just don’t know what to do anymore. My entire life has turned upside down in two days. What have I been doing this whole time I’ve been alive?”

“You seemed to be having fun until that bastard kidnapped you, shishishi!”

“Yeah, fun, sure…but I can’t go back to pretending that’s okay. It’s not okay, and now there’s someone out there that I want to find. I NEED to find her…”

Luffy was silent for a few moments before it dawned on him. “Your sister.”

Toshi’s eyes widened. “Yes…how…how did you…?

“Old man Roshi told us when you were taken.”

Toshi’s mouth dropped open. “So he’ll tell you, but not his own son…geez.” The knife twisted deeper in Toshi’s already open wound. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t want you to know. I mean…it’s kind’ve a relief you do. There’s so many questions now…is she alive? What has she been doing all this time? What’s she like? …How would I ever even begin to try and find her? I…”

Toshi covered his face with his hands, frustration and anxiety mounting further the more he thought about it. “My Pops…he said I didn’t have to take over the tavern…and Rotini and Orzo are taking over the island…so…what…what do I do now? I feel like I don’t even know who I am…”

Luffy’s brow furrowed slightly as he clapped a hand on Toshi’s shoulder nodding as he made an affirmative, authoritative sound. “Toshi.”

When Toshi didn’t answer he shook the bartender’s shoulder. “Toshi! I’ve decided!”

“Ehh?” He finally looked up at Luffy whose face was split in a wide open smile, closed eyes and white shining teeth.

“Join my crew!”

Toshi’s mouth dropped open. “Luffy…”

“I mean it, I want you to join my crew! You can get stronger and I can help you look for your sister! We’re going to be traveling the WHOLE WORLD so we’ll definitely find her! SHISHISHI!”

Toshi couldn’t help it when the tears began pouring down his cheeks again. Twenty years of being told not to cry and now it was undone in two days. “Luffy…” He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, trying to preserve any amount of dignity he had left, but he was just so damned happy in that moment.

“I won’t take no for an answer!” The Strawhat’s Captain slapped Toshi on the back.

Finally having regained his composure, Toshi responded by punching Luffy on the arm. “How about a ‘hell yes’ then? Looks like you’ve got yourself a bartender, Captain!” Toshi stood up and clicked his heels together as he saluted Luffy.

Luffy grabbed Toshi’s arm and dragged him back into the tavern. He held Toshi’s arm up in the air as he made his announcement. “OI, EVERYONE! TOSHI’S JOINING THE CREW!”

Roshi’s mouth dropped open from where he was standing near the bar, though he knew he shouldn’t be too surprised that the boy who’d fought for Toshi’s freedom would make his son one of them. He felt his throat go thick and dry at the thought of Toshi leaving, but he knew that if this is what his son wanted, he would honor it.

The faces of the Strawhats all lit up with happiness as the majority of them yelled out their approval. 

Chopper tackled Toshi with a hug. “AHHHH I’M SO HAPPY TOSHIIIII!” He clung to the bartender’s leg. 

Zoro and Nami had regained consciousness finally and Zoro slurred as he wrapped an arm around Toshi’s shoulders. “I’m going to beat you at drinking one day…”

Toshi laughed at the swordsman. “Maybe if you train harder.”

Nami joined in on Toshi’s other side. “I’m looking forward to drinking more of your delicious drinks, Toshi-kun.”

Sanji flared up with righteous rage at this display. Was Nami-san FLIRTING with Toshi?!

“OI, YOU SHITTY BARTENDER…YOU’D BEST TREAT NAMI-SAN WITH RESPECT!” He lit up a cigarette and took a long drag on it. “And welcome to the crew, looks like we might be sharing some space.”

The bartender pushed Zoro off of him but continued to hold Nami up as she was still teetering a bit. Sanji seemed to hate Zoro and think highly of Nami. “Hey, if you don’t mind…and I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Sanji. I’m not a bad kitchen hand and bus boy either, you know? Gotta have a clean bar and a clean kitchen too.” 

Sanji blew a smoke ring and smiled. “Good. We’re gonna get along just fine. But why is NAMI-SAN CLINGING TO YOU AND NOT MEEEEE?”

Toshi sweatdropped as Robin came to his rescue and took the drunk Nami off of his hands. “Welcome to the crew, Bartender-san.” She smiled warmly.

Usopp and Luffy came up on either side of Toshi and hoisted him on their shoulders. “THREE CHEERS FOR TOSHI! BANZAI! BANZAI! BANZAI!”

Even with all the sadness, the lies, the confusion and his life having been turned upside down, Toshi had never felt happier than he did in that moment.

oOo

Orzo had gone through what he could of the Don’s organization in a short amount of time, considering the circumstances, shutting down many of the illegal operations immediately. He knew everything like the back of his hand and although he didn’t command the fear or the respect that the Don had, he found that so many of the Rigatoni were relieved to give up their positions. The Consigilieri then called the marines to come and pick up the Don and those who would remain loyal to him, which in the end turned out to be no one but Penne.

The Bolognese family would finally be able to reclaim what had been lost now that the Don was out of the picture. Rotini would be the rightful heir, though Orzo knew he was in no condition to run things by himself. The man was still incredibly timid due to his unusually cruel life, the majority of it spent behind bars.

Orzo was going to do right by him this time. All those years as the Don’s advisor…now he’d become his grandson’s advisor. They’d do things right, together every step of the way. They’d all be free and live in harmony. He saw a long road ahead of them with the corruption that this port had been steeped in for so long, the roots of which were surely deep, but he knew that many people also resented the Don’s hold on Port of Soba. So many of the Rigatoni and the Capo had been born and forced into their positions and had always wanted something different, something better.

The Bolognese family would give them that .

The Strawhat pirates quickly made preparations to depart before the marines arrived to pick up the Don and Penne. There had been a Marine ship nearby when Orzo had called, so they would be arriving sooner rather than later.

Roshi had been quiet ever since Luffy had announced that his son was joining their crew. His son... becoming a pirate. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about this, but he knew that Toshi never would have agreed to it if it wasn’t something that he wanted. Roshi had to admit that these pirates weren’t typical of their profession; they’d all risked their lives to save Toshi, and after only knowing him a short time, too.

They’d finally finished loading the last of many barrels, bottles, and boxes of all kinds of alcohol onto the Going Merry. Roshi didn’t have the heart to tell Toshi no, and he'd let him take almost their whole stock along with him. Toshi continued with several more boxes of supplies to set up his own bar and then a small duffle bag that contained his clothes, headbands, whittling knife, and a picture of himself and his father. Roshi had also given Toshi the picture of Hoshi from when she was thirteen years old, which he’d kept through the years. Everything else Toshi needed, he kept on his person. 

The swordsman’s face lit up as he watched all the alcohol being put aboard the ship by the two bartenders. He was really looking forward to having a bartender on the ship with them, and he knew Toshi kept some of his favorite alcohol. Soon he’d be able to get as many drinks as he wanted without that stupid love cook trying to limit his consumption. If there was one thing Toshi excelled at, it was also alcohol consumption and Zoro looked forward to testing his limits again in the near future. 

He’d been standing by the ship, trying not to fall asleep as the others milled about. Usopp and Nami finished making their departure preparations when he saw a familiar figure, her two blonde braids bouncing against her hunched shoulders as she approached the dock.

“Hmm…” 

The Capo slowed to a stop as she grew nearer to the group, clearly exercising a fair amount of caution should her presence be unwelcome. A few of the pirates glanced in her direction, though made no move to shoo her away, so she relaxed her shoulders and took in the scene before her. She felt it was only right that Toshi be seen off properly after everything they had all put the boy through. A gesture of peace was the very least they could do, although she couldn't help but notice that she was the only Capo standing there. To be fair, most of the Rigatoni were still injured and laid up in bed. She, too, should perhaps still be resting, but she was determined not to miss out on this moment.

She glanced over at the swordsman nearby and gave him a nod.

Zoro nodded back and advanced toward her slowly, swords clinking at his side. He cleared his throat a bit awkwardly .“So…you’re not dead.”

Gemelli's eyes widened slightly as he addressed her, though she did her best to play off her surprise. She crossed her arms over the bandages covering her torso, cheeks flushing pink. "As if I would die from 'just a scratch,'" she said, reciting a line that Zoro himself had uttered on more than one occasion during their fight. She glanced at him and smirked.

“Heh!” The swordsman smirked back. She’d been a worthy opponent and he was glad he’d been able to fight her. He’d kept his promise to Luffy by winning his fight and even though he was covered almost head to toe in tight bandages by Chopper, he could already feel himself getting stronger.

Zoro shifted awkwardly on his feet. He didn’t usually make the habit of befriending his opponents. “Ah…what do you think…you’ll do now?” He made a gesture toward the Port of Soba, which had been freed from the Don’s iron grasp. He remembered the hope in her voice at the end of their battle and he wondered if she had any type of plan now. 

Gemelli considered that question for a moment, and then a little smile tugged at her lips. "I don't know...I've never been allowed to decide what I want. Perhaps I will stay here and assist the Bolognese family in rebuilding what they'd lost when the Do--when Fettuccine took control of this place." She fell silent, studying the Going Merry as it gently bobbed in the current by the harbor. In truth, she hadn't given in much thought yet. It still seemed so surreal, the idea of waking up in the morning and not having to report to Penne and Farfalle. 

She gave Zoro another sidelong glance. "I suppose you'll be leaving soon. It's a shame we were all such terrible hosts. Hopefully things will be much different the next time you visit," she added before she could stop herself. She hadn't really meant to insinuate that he might one day return to the Port of Soba, or that she would like to see him again, and she frowned as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. She never was very good at making friends.

“Hm..” Zoro agreed, folding his arms as he studied her with interest, noting how her cheeks tinged pink. “Ah...sounds like a worthy goal. And hopefully you'll be getting stronger. There might still be some assholes loyal to the Don left that you'll need to finish off. I hope that buzzard rots in jail for the rest of his life. And don't be stupid, you were only doing what you thought was right. Besides, Toshi and his Pops made up for the hosting bit with all that booze they gave us.” His lips turned up slightly, and then Usopp began beckoning him toward the group. 

“Who knows…” Zoro trailed off giving her a last glance as he joined the rest of the crew that was already boarding the Going Merry. “Maybe we’ll be back some day.”

“TOSHI!!!” Luffy yelled from his perch atop Merry’s head. “Let’s go!!!” 

The rest of the Strawhat pirates were already on board and had begun waving to the various people gathered below. A few of them were former Rigatoni, along with the Capo Gemelli, and Orzo and Rotini who had come to see them off; grateful for the freedom they’d been able to procure after the Strawhat’s battle with the Don and the Capo. 

Toshi waved up at his new Captain and turned back to his father. This was the part he’d been dreading. He'd pushed it to the back of his mind the whole time they’d been loading up all his gear onto Merry.

The boy rubbed the back of his head as he finally met his father’s eyes. “Well, Pops…I guess this is it…”

Roshi clapped his hands on Toshi’s shoulders and gave him one last long look in the eyes. “I love you, son, don’t ever forget it. I hope you find what you’re looking for out there. Most of all, I just want you to be happy, and if this makes you happy, then I could never stand in your way. I’ll be thinking about you. Every day.” His voice became thick with emotion, thinking about the separation and the possibility that he’d never see his son again. He was a pirate now. He was becoming his own man and would have to forge his own path. 

Toshi’s eyes wavered with unshed tears as he threw his arms around his father. “I love you too, Pops…and…I promise, I’ll come back one day, no matter what. I’m going to help Luffy become the pirate king, and he promised me that he’d help me find Hoshi. I’m going to find her, and I’m going to bring her back. I promise you.”

Roshi swallowed thickly as he hugged Toshi for another long moment, and in that moment, he believed in his son. From that day forward he never doubted that the boy’s words were true. They’d all see each other again. They’d all be a family.

Toshi climbed aboard the Going Merry with his crew, hanging slightly over the railing as he waved and waved. The ship pushed off from the docks as the Captain screamed, “LET’S GO!!!”

“YEAH!!!” was the resounding answer from the crew and Toshi smiled, waving his arms over his head in a final farewell as the crowd seeing them off began to cheer and whoop.

The wind caught Merry's sails almost immediately and the ship gained momentum, cutting through the gentle waves and sending a light sea spray into the air. Luffy took his favorite seat on Merry's head, one fist held high into the air as they sailed into the horizon, victorious. The Strawhat pirates had done what they continued to do best; defeated the enemy, saved the island, made new friends, and even gained a new member in the process. 

It was time to find their next adventure!


	13. A Pirate's Life For Me

**LOG ENTRY #035**

* * *

_Ahoy, faithful readers one and all! This is your beloved Captain Usopp speaking! Or, well, writing to be more precise. It sure has been way too long since I last sat down to address all of my adoring fans, and for that I apologize. I kept you all waiting but here I am now, so consider this my triumphant return! I will be sure to recount all of my glorious adventures that have made me infamous! In fact, just the other day while taking a break between vanquishing my enemies and adding to my army of eight million men, I read in the newspaper that there's going to be a gigantic bronze statue erected in my honor! Can you believe it? Well, of course you can. I mean, I AM the legendary sniper and warrior of the sea, after all!  
_

_Anyway, Nami is usually in charge of writing down all of our epic adventures, but she said lately she hasn't had any time. You should see this place; the desk was so covered with her map-making papers that there was just no room for me to sit there. Not to mention the big ink stain on the chair. Guess who's going to be stuck cleaning that thing? If you guessed me, you'd be right! Sheesh...what am I to these people, anyway? Ship's bitch?_

_So maybe I should mention that a few days ago, we got a new crew member. His name is Toshi, and in order to get him to join, we had to go up against his tyrant grandfather (whom I was instrumental in defeating, by the way! The others would probably deny this but it's the truth!) and a whole mess of subordinates. I wonder what things have been like on Soba since then? That man Orzo had said he'd call the marines to come and get Fettuccine and Penne, the man who'd murdered Toshi's favorite uncle. They've probably come and gone by now. I just hope everyone is adjusting well to the change. I can't imagine having to live my entire life under some jerk's thumb. After such a long time, I bet a lot of those Rigatoni don't have any idea how to go about living their lives. They must feel pretty lost.  
_

_I know Toshi misses his dad a lot, and he's still sad about his uncle, but he seems pretty happy in general. Maybe a little TOO happy. Yesterday when I was helping him build his new bar in the kitchen, he thanked me and punched my arm so hard it went numb! Well...I mean, it's not as if it hurt, I'm the Great Usopp! But still, how the hell is that any way to thank a person?! His manners are better than Luffy's at least, but that's not saying a lot._

_Ah, crap, I just heard a noise from the deck that can only be the sound of Luffy putting another hole in our precious Going Merry!! My apologies, friends, but the Epic Adventures of the Amazing Captain Usopp will have to wait for another time!_

* * *

“AHHH LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THIS FISH USOPP! SHISHISHISHI.” The Captain grinned proudly as the sniper appeared from the depths of Merry upon hearing the loud noise the fish hitting the deck had created.

Luffy gestured down to a huge blue fish with rather sharp fins as it flopped around, still on the end of his hook. The grin on the rubber man's face widened as he yelled for everyone else to come get a look at his prize. “OI, EVERYONE, COME SEE THIS! Sanji!!! Cook this for me!”

The lecture immediately died on Usopp's lips when the brilliantly-colored fish caught his eye. "WHOA!! Luffy, that's amazing! We should definitely eat him for dinner!" He rushed over to join the small crowd now gathered around the catch of the day, unable to help examining the sea creature further, barely giving the broken railing a second glance.

Nami, however, was not amused.

“LUFFY!!!” The navigator’s teeth turned to daggers for a split second. “Do you think I have a spare ship tucked in my back pocket?! Be more careful, will you?!” She shook her head slightly as she walked forward to get a better look at the fish herself.

“Nami, your pants don’t even have pockets…” Toshi came up behind her holding a bottle of whiskey which he immediately threw back, chugging the entire thing down in seconds.

“Yes, they do, look!” She pointed to the faux pockets that adorned her capris.

Toshi looked unimpressed as he reached out and tried to put his hand in her pocket. “Not even an inch, where are you supposed to put your flasks?”

Nami gave him a withering glare. “Not everyone carries around 50 flasks.”

Toshi pulled one of the said flasks from out of his jacket, “It’s only 24, and their loss.” He smirked and then guzzled it down.

There was a sudden loud gasp and then the cook immediately appeared, placing himself in between Nami and Toshi. "YOU SHITTY BARTENDER! How dare you grope Nami-swan!! I ought to kick your ass!" He growled, not having missed the exchange between the two.

Toshi appeared perplexed as he pulled out another flask. “What the hell are you talking about, Sanji?”

Nami rolled her eyes, in no mood for the blond man’s ridiculous rants. “Sanji-kun, shush. Toshi wasn’ t groping me. Maybe if you had your hair styled to where you could use both your eyes, you could see that.” She chuckled as she turned and walked away from him.

Toshi nodded his head in agreement. “That’s what I’VE been telling him. It’s like it’s GLUED in position or something. Even when he sleeps…” The bartender turned a critical eye on the chef. “What is it, magic or something?” Toshi reached up towards Sanji’s hair only to have his hand batted away instantly.

"Keep your hands to yourself," the cook grunted, still sour over the apparent mistreatment of Nami, though he wasn't going to argue with the woman about it. He turned back toward the small crowd around the fish. "Well, let's get this thing into the kitchen. I'll cook it up in time for dinner."

Luffy was practically salivating already as he and Usopp bent to pick up the fish, following Sanji up to the kitchen with it.

Toshi scratched his head as he put the now empty flask away and went to help Usopp and Luffy with their heavy burden. Sanji’s behavior often perplexed him. It wasn’t as if they'd known each other long, being that he’d just recently joined the crew, but it often seemed like the man was two different people at times, depending on whom Sanji was talking to. Toshi could say a few things for certain about the chef; he loved to smoke, he loved to cook, he loved to kick Luffy in the head, he adored Nami and Robin, and he seemed to hate Zoro.

Toshi almost tripped over said swordsman on the way to the kitchen as the green haired man was sleeping almost directly in their path.

“ZORO!” Luffy yelled, hoping to wake the man up to see their prize. “GET UP! LOOK AT THIS!”

Zoro grunted and cracked one eye open, his arms still tightly folded against his chest, swords resting neatly in his lap. “Nice work, Luffy...” Then he immediately fell back to sleep.

Toshi didn’t have a problem with Zoro at all, but he'd noticed how irritated Sanji got by basically anything Zoro did. It kind of amused him.

The three men plopped the fish onto the counter in the kitchen per Sanji's direction. It was so large that it took up more counter space than the Merry actually had.

Sanji’s demeanor changed as he rubbed his hands together, running his eyes over the fish and imagining all the ways he could cook it. "This will be exciting! I can cook half up for dinner tonight, and the rest can be saved for tomorrow afternoon's snack!"

Usopp reached over and whapped Luffy on the back of the head. "That's my arm you're drooling all over!"

Sanji made a shooing motion. "Alright, that's all the help I need. Now get out of my kitchen, I'll call you back when it's done!" Usopp and Luffy reluctantly trudged outside, Luffy whining that he was the one who caught the fish to begin with and should therefore be allowed to stay. Sanji gave a pointed look to the remaining pirate in the room before realizing that this was actually Toshi's base of operations now. "Ah...right. I'm not used to sharing this space."

Toshi grinned at Sanji. “I noticed. Hey, if you need help, I’m your man.” Toshi leaned against the bar Usopp had put together for him earlier that week, located on the other side of the Going Merry’s kitchen area. The table that all the Strawhats ate at separated the cooking space and the bar space.

The wood on the counter still needed a little sanding and it was a far cry from what he was used to in regards to size and space, but all and all it was a good bar. Toshi had enough room for a keg, a wine rack, two shelves of hard liquor and all the other bartending essentials in his new space. He was still trying to figure out how to keep the glasses from clinking together so much when the ship rocked, though.

“I’m serious,” Toshi said, rolling up his sleeves a bit further as he walked forward. “I’ve been working in this kind of setting my whole life, you know. I’m thinking you should maybe try cooking that fish in some wine…mmm that’d be amazing…”

Sanji's visible eye rolled upward in thought. "Now that you mention it, I've been trying to coax Nami-san into buying a quality cooking wine, but...well, the bottles I'd like to work with are all too expensive." He met Toshi's eyes, his lips curling a bit. "I don't suppose you'd be in possession of something so sought-after?"

A huge grin spread across Toshi’s face. “Who do you think you’re talking to here? You saw what I brought on board with me, right? I think Merry actually sank a few inches further down into the water from all of it! Come on, I’ll let you have your pick of what I got stashed in the hold.”

oOo

The clinking of silverware against ceramic plates filled the air around the dining area that evening as the crew happily filled their stomachs with their seafood dinner, laughing amongst one another and enjoying the peaceful day to its fullest. After all, such days were rare when you were labeled as wanted criminals.

Usopp sighed as he leaned back in his chair, unable to eat another bite. "That was amazing, Sanji!" He laughed as he patted his stomach, not even protesting when Luffy swiped the remaining portion from his plate.

Sanji chuckled over his own empty plate. "Well, I can't take all the credit. It was largely thanks to our resident alcoholic, really," he said as he gave Toshi a wink.

Toshi grinned, giving him a thumbs up. “Hell, I just lent him a bottle of my Pinot Grigio, it really adds something to the fish I think. Of course, I like to eat most everything drenched in alcohol.” He washed down his last bite of fish with a large gulp from a pitcher of margaritas he had sitting next to his plate.

Zoro smirked at that. "We might have picked up on that."

Toshi continued, “What do you guys want for your after dinner drinks? No shots this time, Luffy, you wasted WAY too much of my good booze last time.” The bartender wagged a finger at the Captain teasingly. “…Hmm, how about some daiquiris? Mudslides and pina coladas were always a favorite on hot days back on Soba. Not that it’s particularly hot right now, but who cares?!”

Nami looked up after wiping her mouth with a napkin. “That sounds pretty good! Don’t know how much these lightweights can handle, though.”

“Hah. Tell me about it.” Toshi nudged the woman with his elbow. “I noticed you ain’t too bad though, Nami.”

Robin chuckled from nearby. “I’ll just have tea, thanks.”

“Long island iced tea, got it.” Toshi mentally noted as he pushed away from the table and started picking up everyone’s empty plates, silverware and cups and bringing them to the sink before turning on the hot water. It was merely the force of habit, as Toshi was more than used to bussing tables and the cleaning bars. He was kind of a neat freak about it and he returned to the table quickly with a large damp cloth, wiping the surface until it sparkled as if nothing had ever been on it.

Nami gave an appreciative nod, not used to having someone on the ship who actually cleaned up after themselves. The majority of the boys, even Chopper, tended to be complete slobs. Even Sanji was pleasantly surprised by Toshi's initiative, as the clean-up pretty much always fell to him after every meal.

Robin held up her hand. “I actually meant hot tea, bartender-san…no alcohol.”

“Whaaaaaat?” Toshi was aghast; as if it were unthinkable to drink a beverage that didn’t contain alcohol. “Well, I’ll leave that to Sanji, then. Look forward to your drinks while I do the dishes!. You guys just relax a bit.” Toshi rolled up his sleeves and returned to the now full sink.

Sanji shrugged, having nothing to do all of a sudden and he leaned back in his chair, pulling out a half-full pack of cigarettes. He had to admit, it was nice to have someone else take care of the dirty dishes for once.

"Toshi, I'm starting to understand why your dad wanted you to take over the Jade Bangle," Usopp commented with a grin. "You really know your stuff! Although I have to say, I'm glad you--OW!!" Suddenly the sniper was gripping his nose, glaring at the laughing Captain who had just hit him in the face with a leftover fishbone. "LUFFY!!"

Luffy put the fishbone back in his mouth, stretching his cheeks out and then smiled at Usopp “HEY LOOK AT ME!!! SHISHISHISHI!” His laughter was garbled around the fishbone.

Nami slapped her forehead as Chopper and Usopp decided to stuff bones in their mouths too and jump up on top of the table with their Captain, doing ridiculous poses.

Toshi looked over his shoulder with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah…I did have a lot of fun in that place. I just couldn’t stay there forever, you know? Being the bartender for the pirate king though, that’s going to look great on my resume.”

“Hey!” Luffy spoke around the bone in his mouth. “I didn’t forget my promise, Toshi. We’ll find your sister for sure!”

Toshi nodded as he turned back to the sink, thinking just how lucky he was to have run into such good-hearted pirates. They really cared about him. That was something so rare in Toshi’s life that he almost couldn’t believe it was true.

Luffy began humming loudly and rather off key as he started to dance with Chopper. “WE NEED A MUSICAN NEXT, YOU GUYS!” He announced, twirling around on the table with Chopper and holding the reindeer’s hooves as he swung him through the air.

“WHEEEEEEE! FASTER, LUFFY!”

Zoro looked unimpressed, and then impatient; he was really looking forward to some booze. He usually liked to drink sake straight from the bottle, but he’d already tasted several of Toshi’s mixed drinks and found he really enjoyed them, even though a good many of them were what you might call ‘fruity.’ Toshi himself preferred straight liquor too, it seemed, or margaritas. Zoro swore to himself that he’d seen the bartender brushing his teeth using a bottle of Jack Daniels the other day.

Finished with his after-dinner smoke, Sanji pushed himself out of his chair and made his way toward the kitchen sink where Toshi was working on the dishes. He grabbed a clean towel from one of the drawers and began to work on drying and putting away each dish. After all, the sooner the job was completed, the sooner everyone could sit down again and enjoy a round of drinks.

After several more minutes, to the tune of their crewmates' cheerful banter in the background, the chore was finished and the last dish put away.

Toshi looked over at Sanji and smiled. “Thanks. “ He pulled out a flask and took a sip from it after he finished washing off the last dish and wiped his hands dry on his shorts.

"Don' t mention it," the chef replied as he tossed the damp towel over the faucet to dry.

“Does that mean you forgive me for when you were all pissed over me pretty much just talking to Nami earlier?” Toshi snorted, wondering if Sanji would go from calm and collected to ready to conquer the world with fire in his eyes at the mere mention of Nami. He was weird like that.

"Talking?!" Sanji looked incredulous at that. "Is that what you call groping someone in Soba? You had your hands all over Nami-san!"

And there it was.

“Are you stupid? She insisted her pants have pockets, those are obviously fake pockets! You didn’t see Nami complaining, did you?” Toshi looked over his shoulder, calling out to the navigator, “OI, NAMI! DID I GROPE YOU EARLIER?”

“WHAT?” Nami shook her head. “Sanji-kun’s just being ridiculous! Ignore him, we’re ready for all those great drinks now.” She smiled pointedly at Toshi, which only seemed to piss Sanji off more.

“Coming right up, miss!” Toshi made his way across the kitchen over to his bar, shooting a smug smile at Sanji on the way. He wiped the bar down quickly and began juggling cups and bottles of alcohol as he quickly prepared daiquiris and poured them out expertly, adding crazy straws, pineapple rings and cherries to the pina coladas, and shaved some chocolate over the mudslides.

“Here you go Nami, Zoro, Usopp, Chopper, Captain…and I guess maybe there’s a little bit leftover for the cook.” Toshi grinned over at Sanji. “Don’t forget Robin’s tea!”

Sanji grumbled under his breath that he didn't need reminding and especially not from a pervert bartender as he filled the kettle with fresh water and set it on top of the stove. At the table, the crew eagerly snatched up their drinks and sipped from them through the wildly colorful straws.

"This is great!" Usopp exclaimed and everyone else agreed. "Come sit down, Toshi, you don't need to work so hard!"

"Yeah!!" Chopper concurred, looking as cute as can be while he happily slurped up his virgin daiquiri. "It's time to party!"

“Hahaha, don’t you guys worry about that any. I feel bad for sleeping in today, so, you know. I’m used to staying up late after running the Jade Bangle with my Pops for so long.” Toshi grinned as he mixed up two additional pitchers of daiquiris, one of each flavor and added extra rum to both.

He continued between alternating sips from each pitcher, wiping his mouth on his sleeve after the last one. “Yeah we usually stayed open ‘til about 2am and then it took us a whole other hour to clean the place up. Sometimes we closed at midnight, on Sunday and Monday usually. Don’t you guys get too rowdy now…I’ll have you know I’m an expert at breaking up bar fights.” Toshi leaned over the top of the bar after wiping it down again and gave Zoro a pointed look. “You look like a first class troublemaker to me…” Toshi grinned and brought out a full bottle of sake and set it before the swordsman “And that’s why I’m gonna give you this!”

Zoro smirked as he accepted.”Cheers.” He said, clinking the bottle against Toshi’s half full pitcher as the two of them threw back their drinks.

“Heyyyy no fair!” Luffy pouted as he banged his now empty glass against the bar. “Are you giving Zoro special treatment?! I’m a HUUUUUUGE TROUBLE MAKER YOU KNOW, SHISHISHISHI!”

"Oh? It's a good thing you reminded us." Sanji's voice came from behind the captain as he approached the table with Robin's hot tea. He set the cup down beside Robin and smiled sweetly at her. "Here you are, Robin-chwan! Please let me know if there's anything else you need from me."

Robin nodded her appreciation. "Thank you, cook-san."

Toshi’s eyes widened momentarily as he grabbed the bottle of sake back from Zoro while the other man was still drinking it. “IDIOT! Did I say you could drink the whole thing?! You better not waste any that you spilled from being so careless, either.” Toshi clucked his tongue.

Zoro frowned. “What the hell?! You just gave me that bottle!”

“Don’t be stupid You can’t drink that whole bottle. You’re too much of a lightweight!”

The swordsman growled. “Wanna bet?! I’ll drink your ass under the table!”

Toshi smiled sinisterly as he began pulling out bottle after bottle of hard liquor and plunking it on top of his bar. “You’re on, Marimo.”

Sanji quirked his visible eyebrow and exchanged glances with Nami; both of them having noticed the abrupt change in Toshi's behavior toward Zoro. Finally Nami simply shrugged, letting the matter drop. Sanji followed suit, figuring something must have happened while he wasn't looking. Perhaps people from Soba really did have strange customs.

Meanwhile the drinking contest was well under way; Zoro and Toshi gulped down alcoholic beverages one after another with great enthusiasm as the rest of the crew looked on. Chopper, Usopp and Luffy were cheering and pounding their fists against the table, alternating which crewmate they cheered for and laughing each time one of the participants let out a loud belch.

You’re looking a little green there, Marimo,” Toshi noted as he casually sipped out the side of his mouth from a large glass pitcher. He’d honestly lost count of how much he’d drank since the start of the competition but that was nothing new. Toshi had probably already drank half his weight in alcohol prior to dinner. No big deal.

Zoro slumped over the bar, his hand shaking as he reached for another bottle. “Very…funny…” He hiccupped loudly. “GIMME ANOTHER.”

“Ohohoho, I’m sorry sir, I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut you off for the night. You don’t look like you can handle any more.”

Nami was impressed. She’d never seen anyone drink quite so much in one sitting before without appearing to be the slightest bit tipsy. Toshi’s behavior hadn’t changed one bit and Nami realized that the bartender wasn’t even drunk, despite the large amount of alcohol he’d consumed in his contest with Zoro. Not only that but she remembered seeing him casually drinking throughout the entire day.

Zoro reached over again for the bottle, which Toshi kept moving just an inch out of his grasp with glee. The swordsman began to see double as he grappled for two bottles at once and kept missing.

“Wha's goin’ on here? I’m tryin’ ta drink these two more…” He hiccupped again as his eyes slid shut and the green head hit the bar with a loud thud.

Toshi finished off the bottle of booze that Zoro had been unable to even pick up and held both of his hands up in the air, whooping in triumph. “Let that be a lesson to all you lightweights.“ He grinned and thumbed his chest. “Not even the great Captain Usopp-sama would stand a chance against Koshi Toshi! I’m the world’s greatest alcoholic!”

“WHOO HOO!!!” Luffy jumped up from his barstool and ran around the other side, slinging his arm around Toshi, with Usopp coming around on the other side and Chopper jumping on top of the bartender’s head. They all began doing a line dance with Luffy singing one of his songs about islands in the south being full of idiots while Nami and Robin clapped along.

“Looks like that shitty Marimo really is down for the count…” Sanji nudged the swordsman’s shoulder rather roughly to no response. “That’s fine with me, he can just sleep here! Good one, Toshi.” Sanji lit up another cigarette as he exited the kitchen to get some fresh air.

“Hey!” Nami tried to get the other boys’ attention. “One of you needs to go on watch now, you know. Usopp?”

The dancing immediately stopped. “Of course you’d choose the great Captain Usopp-sama for the job! Hey why don’t you guys come with me? I heard there’s supposed to be some shooting stars tonight!!!”

“YEAH!” Luffy and Chopper immediately agreed but Toshi shrank back a big, pulling out one of his customary rags to start wiping down the bar again.

“You guys go on ahead, I still need to clean up here.”

Luffy paused for a second, about to whine that Toshi should definitely come with them but Nami, sensing there a deeper reason that Toshi didn’t immediately agree to go along, shooed the three other boys out the door. “Hurry up or you’ll miss the meteor shower!”

“EH? Don’t you wanna come too, Nami?”

“I’ll come with you, Captain-san.” Robin smiled, sprouting an arm around Luffy’s shoulders.

“OKAY!!!”

The door slammed shut moments later. There was finally peace and quiet in the kitchen and bar area. Nami drummed her fingers lightly across the top of the bar while Toshi cleaned up and Zoro, dead to the world, emitted small snores every now and then.

Toshi finished his task and collapsed at the table across from Nami, laying his head on the wood surface with his arms forming a little barrier around him.

“Are you alright?” Nami reached out her hand then pulled it back as Toshi lifted his head a bit so Nami could see his eyes.

“Yeah…just a little exhausted, I guess you could say.”

Nami nodded, inclining her head as she sipped on the last drink Toshi had made her. She remembered him calling it a ‘mai tai.’ It was really fruity and delicious with quite a bit of orange juice in it.

Toshi emitted a long sigh and glanced at the door that the others had exited through.

“They’re a lot to take in all at once, I know.” The navigator smiled.

Toshi looked over, a bit stunned that Nami seemed able to read his mood. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. This was the first time he’d been alone, well technically anyway, with Nami, let alone a girl of any sort. Toshi had to admit that Nami still made him a little nervous, but she looked at him in a kind way that made him feel it was okay to speak freely in front of her.

“Yeah…I’m…really not used to this sort of life. I’ve been around people plenty, sure, but those people drink and then go home. They’re customers…not friends. I mean…you guys are the first real friends I’ve made since I was just a kid.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah…I had some childhood friends once upon a time. Jerrad and Igny. We had some good times, catching frogs, fishing, playing on the docks…”

“But I take it you’re not friends anymore?”

“Not even close. I don’t even know where they are anymore.”

“Did something happen? You don’t think this had to do with your grandpa, do you?” Nami’s brow wrinkled, thinking that the old man had done enough to Toshi as a kid, what with keeping him under near 24/7 surveillance...but to take away his only friends as well?

“Well, when we all turned 13, something just seemed to change between us…I can’t really explain what it was, but all of a sudden they didn’t want to hang out with me anymore. Then my Pops pulled me out of school and taught me at home from then on. I never really saw them again.”

Nami nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that, it does sound strange…you really don’t know why your father did that?”

Toshi paused, biting his lip for a second and averting his eyes. "No...I…”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it if it makes you upset.” She’d seen the strain that all the lies had put on the relationship between father and son, and she didn’t want to push the subject anymore than it already had been due to recent events. Nami finished off her mai tai with a small slurp. “Thanks for this drink by the way, it was delicious as always.”

“Of course.” Toshi reached for the glass and went to go wash it quickly, still having some nervous energy despite being so drained. He went back behind the bar and mixed himself a large pitcher of margaritas. He’d finished the entire thing before he realized he probably should’ve offered Nami some as well. “Oh, hey…did you want some? Sorry…hahaha…just kind of used to drinking whatever I want whenever I want.”

Nami smiled in amusement. “I noticed. No, no, I’m good. You know, Usopp had a point earlier when he said you don’t have to work so hard, Toshi. You’re here because we want you here, and because YOU want to be here. It’s just that easy.”

"Really? ...Huh."

Toshi had a hard time believing everything that had happened recently. He still had to pinch himself when he woke up on the Merry every morning and wasn’t back in Soba in the tavern. It all still seemed like some wild outlandish dream come true. He wanted to make sure the Strawhats didn’t regret taking him on as a crew member. He wanted their acceptance and friendship so badly...

“You don’t think Sanji’s still mad at me, do you?”

Nami laughed. “Is that still bothering you? He’d be mad at fly if it dared to land on my shoulder for a quick rest. Sanji-kun’s odd about women. I don’t think he ever really had a woman in his life at all, so he sees them as some sort of angelic creatures or something, I don’t even know. He gets irritating at times for certain, but I can’t complain about all the delicious treats he makes.”

Toshi nodded slowly. “Well, I never had any women in my life either, but you and Robin seem normal enough. I mean, I honestly don’t think I know what’s normal most times.” Toshi laughed awkwardly.

Nami smirked. “If you’re really looking for normal, you’ve come to the wrong place!”

“No kidding!” Toshi glanced over his shoulder as he heard his captain’s excited yells upon spotting a number of shooting stars, as promised by Usopp.

Nami rolled her eyes good-naturedly and Toshi laughed, picking himself up and going back behind the bar. “You know, I don’t think Sanji got a drink after dinner. I think I’ll bring him one.” The bartender quickly and skillfully made up a drink for the chef. Thinking that Sanji would probably prefer something less fruity, he whipped up a martini with extra olives.

“Thanks, Nami.” Toshi smiled, and this time it did reach his eyes.

“Anytime.” The navigator stretched her hands out over and behind her head. “I think I’m going to get some rest. See you tomorrow, Toshi!”

“You got it.”

The bartender found the chef exactly where he expected; on the lower deck, smoking and trying to pretend he wasn’t all that interested in the shooting stars, though Toshi could tell otherwise from the way his head whipped up at each of Luffy's and Usopp’s shouts when they’d spotted a new one.

Toshi cleared his throat. "Hey…you looked thirsty.”

Sanji had heard him approaching, though he only looked up when he was spoken to. He exhaled a chuckle, a puff of wispy cigarette smoke escaping his lips as he did so. "Well, you would know, wouldn't you?"

“Yeah…I kind of skipped over you at drinks tonight. That was my bad.” Toshi handed him the martini. “Seemed like something you might like. But if you don’t, I can make you something else.”

Sanji accepted the drink, nodding his appreciation. "If your others are anything to go by, I'm not worried." He glanced back up toward the sky once more as another whoop from Luffy signaled the appearance of yet another shooting star, turning the glance in his hands before raising it to his lips and taking a generous sip.

There was a long moment of silence as Sanji continued to take intermittent sips of the martini, both of them idly watching the show above them. He wasn't quite sure what to talk about, so he just went with the first thing that came to mind, recalling the loss that Toshi had suffered almost immediately before joining the crew. "So...how are you holding up? After, well...you know..."

It took Toshi a second to figure out what Sanji was referring to...until the heavy weight hit him like a punch to the gut. Of course, it could only be one thing. He was pretty good at hiding it or pushing it to the back of his mind most of the time, but the death of his uncle, even if the man had turned out to be working for his grandfather the whole time, had been so, so difficult.

Toshi had never thought that he would have to say goodbye to him. Now, he’d lost both his uncles. One to death and another to the law. Finding out how Penne had really felt, and how he had chosen duty over friendship had been a sharp barb to Toshi as well. These were the men that he’d seen almost every day of his life, the ones who had taught him half of what he knew. In the end, they both showed their true colors and Toshi wished with everything in him that things had ended differently. No one had to die…if only…

But there could be no looking back. Toshi was only looking forward now. He would keep the promise of finding his sister and helping Luffy become the pirate king.

“I’m…okay,” he finally answered, pulling out a flask and downing it. His thirst for alcohol was still not sated. Sometimes the other Strawhats wondered if he drank in his sleep, too. Toshi’s face lit up as several shooting stars fell down at once, reminding him a little of the yearly fireworks show that was held every summer during the Port of Soba’s Noodle Festival.

“I don’t think the pain will ever fully go away, but…you know, I don’t think I want it to. As long as I can still feel, I know that my uncle is never really gone, you know?”

Sanji nodded before draining the last of the martini from the glass and then popping one of the olives into his mouth. "Sounds like a good outlook to have," he said thoughtfully. He tipped the empty glass in the bartender's direction. "You were right. Hit the spot!"

Toshi took the glass back from him with a grin. “Of course. I do know a thing or two about alcohol, you know.” Sanji smirked back and Toshi’s grin widened. “I also wouldn’t mind sharing some more of my cooking alcohols with you, since I do like my food the way I like my alcohol….full of alcohol! Oh and curry, for some reason I really love curry.”

"Then I look forward to working with you, shitty bartender," Sanji said in obvious jest. "Just as long as you keep your filthy hands off of Nami-san." He gave the other man a wink at that.

Toshi laughed, slugging Sanji in the arm as hard as he could. “Well, I can’t make any promises! I’ll just wash them next time, how about that?” Toshi laughed again as he dodged a play kick to his head from the cook.

Luffy spotted the two of them from his vantage point on the upper deck near Merry’s head and waved his arms over his head. “HEY!!! THE VIEW’S WAY BETTER FROM UP HERE! COME ON YOU GUYS!”

Toshi ran on ahead, Sanji not far behind. “COMING CAPTAIN!"


End file.
